Aim High, Fly-Fight-Win
by Echelon9
Summary: Liminals in the military? It's more common than you'd think. This completely original story follows the lives of five US pilots on assignment, while living on a USAF Base in Japan. First four chapters will serve as introductions. Slice of Life. Comedy. Drama. Romance. OC's. Check my profile for progress reports on upcoming chapters.
1. Meet Belle

A quick note from the author:

The first four chapters of this story are going to be introductory. So expect an information dump. They'll flesh out the main characters, probe their pasts, and explain how they all ended up in the same place together. I plan to release at least one new chapter a month, unless otherwise stated in my profile.

I hope you enjoy…

* * *

Meet Belle

 **20 years ago…**

 **An Island in the Northern Marianas…**

Known for its equitable balance in climate, fluctuating between wet and dry seasons, and its close proximity to the deepest trench in the world, the Mariana Islands could be considered a paradise. With a population of over 50,000 residents, most of the people were spread out over just three of the islands. However; on one particular island, where humans rarely visited, lived a large tribe of lamias. This wasn't the only one that existed. Even in the Marianas. Lamia villages were abundant all over the world.

While the existence of extra-species had been known for quite some time, attempts to bridge the cultural divide had been fairly recent. Different countries had forged their own sets of laws and regulations in regard to the liminals. In some nations they were granted some rights under the law, with the right to work and the right to live without persecution being the most common. But very few countries granted liminals the same rights as humans. One of the countries that did, having made great strides in extra-species diplomacy in recent years, was the United States. Since the Northern Marianas were protected as a territory of the country, so too was this particular village.

The island is about 18 square miles. The volcano in the center dominated the primary landscape. Almost a century ago, after fearing an eruption, the Mariana government evacuated all the lamias. They returned, and now a large group of 120 of them lived on the island. The village was located right next to the coast. Most of the homes were wooden huts. They protected against seasonal weather, but not strong storms. If they were destroyed, they could be rebuilt with minimal effort and cost. The village was not wealthy, and the budget for stronger and sturdier steel and brick structures had gone to erect buildings like the recreation center, the school, and the municipal building. In the event of a typhoon, the lamias had a concrete shelter built inland.

A ship visited once a month to ferry supplies to the island, but that was about it. The tribe lived in isolation. They sustained themselves by fishing, using subsistence farming, and harvesting what little they could from the island itself. It was a peaceful life. An ordinary life. But one little girl wanted more…

"Belle!"

She had heard the voice in the distance, but kept her eyes forward, glued to the horizon.

"Belle! Where are you?"

The voice repeated itself. In the background she sensed someone approaching her. She felt a hand tap her on the shoulder.

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

She turned. It was her mother. Belle, the lamia child in question, had ventured out to one of the rocky cliffs about a mile from the village. She had been told not to go by herself in case of an accident, but ever the curious one, she wasn't going to listen. Her mother knew why she was there.

"Mama," she asked in childlike curiosity, while pointing towards the sea.

"What kind of ship is that?"

Her mother stared. It was large. Very large. With a deep gray hull, and a command center that seemed to tower above a completely flat deck. The sound of a loud roar caught their attention. Belle looked up and saw airplanes. Small ones. Fast ones. There was one. Then another. Then suddenly four of them flying in a row! They were several miles off the coast, but she could see them perfectly. She never took her eyes off them; fixated. The jets turned and flew back towards the direction of the ship.

"That's an aircraft carrier, dear. It's a military ship."

Belle's mother moved to embrace her daughter, hugging her from behind. "You've been taught that this island is protected by a mighty nation. That ship and those planes belong to them."

The little girl made an "O" with her mouth as her face lit up in surprise. She smiled gleefully. "Wow, Mama. You sure do know a lot."

Her mother laughed, and started to coax her daughter back to the village. Ever since that first day when she had taken her daughter to the cliffs to show her all the ships that passed the island, Belle had been hooked. She really liked watching the planes as they soared overhead. Few of them ever passed the island directly, but a number of the them passed close enough to the coast to be spotted. And the cliff was a great viewing spot. There were no predators on the island, so her mother didn't mind her going out on her own. She was more worried about the cliff collapsing, or a landslide from above causing a rock to fall to on her or something. Belle was still just ten years old.

She held her daughters hand, as they slithered along the path back towards home. If her mother was any indication, then Belle was sure to grow up to be a stunning beauty one day. The little girl had long blond hair with cobalt blue scales on her face. The scales on the top of her tail were the same color, before transitioning into a lighter hue of blue at the tip. The underside of her tail was gray, giving her a look similar to a Blue Racer. Her eyes shimmered like gold. One of the elders had remarked that she possessed 24-carat pupils. Her mother possessed similar looks, except that her hair was darker. Most of the lamias in the village all had scales of various colors. One distinct trait was that they were female. All of them. Apparently, no male lamias existed. Of any species.

As she and her mother entered the village, Belle waved to one of the other kids around her age as the two set off to play. The largest age group of the villagers were the adults. The children that weren't of breeding age yet made up the next largest group. Lamias tended to come of age around fourteen years old. It was still common in many tribes for girls to have carried and given birth before their eighteen birthdays. However; things began to change once the Extra-species Cultural Exchange bill went into effect. Before, many lamias in the village opted to finish their educations on one of Marianas main islands. Belle recalled listening to one of the older girls describe her experiences in what the humans called a high school.

"It's filled with all sorts of people, and even other liminals too. Saipan really is a large place. Thousands of people live there," the girl explained.

"You get to live in a dormitory with other girls your age, and you get to come home every few months."

The school on the island was small, but the adults were capable teachers. After getting their education, many lamias on the island learned a trade. A few of them even earned degrees at community colleges if they were fortunate, before returning to the tribe. Belle's mother was one of the girls who had been lucky enough to be presented with the latter opportunity. None of them could afford to go to a four-year college unless the local government offered them a scholarship; and that was rare. However, the American government began giving liminals opportunities to study on the mainland through homestay programs, and many began to jump at the chance.

There was one lamia in the village that served as a shining example to all the children on just how far they could go with the right ambition and drive. She was around the same age as Belle's mother, and had been one of the first extra-species of any kind from the Marianas to study abroad through the homestay program. Her name was Hollis. Dr. Hollis as the adults called her. She went to college, finished med school, then completed her residency, before becoming a licensed doctor. All after using the homestay program as a launching pad. Instead of opting to practice medicine in the States, she returned home to the Marianas, and practiced there. She understood a great deal about human and lamia biology. At one point, Dr. Hollis had done research trying to unlock the mysteries of the lamia as a mono species. After a decade of practice, she returned to the village to raise her young daughter. Her presence in the village was a blessing. The other lamias could receive immediate treatment from her without having to wait for the cargo ship that came around once a month. There had been instances in the past of lamias dying from complications from pregnancy and childbirth, serious injuries, and disease before being able to get to a medical professional in time. But Dr. Hollis changed all of that. Not only for her village, but for other lamias living in the country. They traveled from all over the Marianas Islands to seek treatment from her. And because of that, she had inspired many other girls to follow their own dreams as well.

However; the different extra-species programs did bring about some problems. More and more girls who were out studying abroad and chasing their dreams did not return to their tribes at all. And Belle's had been no exception. Some of the girls did send money back home, but many did not. In order to compensate for the lack of extra income needed for supplies, especially in her village where the environment and climate could be volatile during the wet seasons, several girls worked permanent jobs in Saipan to support the tribe. And that left the village starved of capable workers to farm the fields, catch fish, and gather edible plants.

Another issue felt all around was that some girls brought back men that they had married while away. And these were not communal mates either. They weren't there to impregnate the whole tribe. Just that one girl. The practice of a man taking one woman to be his mate was not something that the lamias understood. They were an all-female race. Without human men, they'd be fucked. And not in the sexual way, but in the extinction of the species sort of way. And even though there had been instances in the past of lamias abducting men and forcing them back to their villages to have wild orgy sex with all the members of the tribe, sometimes at once, such practices were not appropriate now that the government was recognizing their rights.

As a solution to this growing problem, Belle's village started to send a few of the girls out, either to the mainland or abroad through the homestay program, to recruit potential patriarchs for the tribe. Potential candidates were brought back to Saipan and interviewed at length by the elders before being brought back to the tribe. The elders were particularly looking for men that had strong fertility rates, were well educated, could thrive in a leadership position, and could do manual labor. Belle's village currently had three patriarchs. One of whom was her father. He had been a quality assurance manager for a major food distributor, and worked as a welder before that. He was a fitness guru, and understood quite a bit about produce. He loved all of his daughters. Even if a third of all the children in the village were his. The oldest of whom were finishing high school. Even if a liminal didn't have the grades to qualify for a college scholarship, or wasn't afforded a slot in one of the homestay or extra-species care programs, it was possible for them to be granted US work visas like the foreign humans. The world was their oyster, and they knew it.

"Hey Belle, what do you want to do when you grow up?" Another little girl had asked her, following a checkup from Dr. Hollis one day. This girl was named Ingrid, and she had been Belle's best friend since birth.

She looked at the girl rather puzzled, "I'm not sure..."

Ingrid looked towards the sea and spread her arms wide. "Did you know that we live close to the deepest part of the whole sea? It's true! My mom told me that we did. One of the elders told me that no one had ever fully explored it, but I want to."

Belle giggled watching her friend make motions with her hands of a submarine diving down to the ocean floor when suddenly a soft roar from above caught her attention. She looked up. It was flying way above some of the clouds. It was so high up that she could barely see it. But she could hear it. It was a white aircraft with great big wide wings, and four engines. From what she deduced it had to be huge. Enormous even. But it was slow. Much slower than those jets she had seen before. She watched the airliner as it soared overheard, oblivious to her friend.

"Belle! Hey, Belle are you listening?"

She nodded her head and smiled. She now had an answer to the girl's question.

* * *

 **8 years later…**

 **Honolulu, Hawaii…**

Ioane had been just your ordinary guy. Born to a native Hawaiian family, he had lived on the island all his life. When it came time for him to choose a college, the University of Hawaii at Manoa was his pick. It was right next to home and the tuition was cheaper. A better deal since his parents had offered to pay his way if he kept his grades up, and UWM had been a bit easier on his dad's wallet as a result. He moved into a tiny apartment close to the campus that was a bit cramped, but he was living there rent free, so he couldn't complain. And for the first two years of school, everything was fine. Great even. He kept his grades up as promised, and didn't have to pay rent, until his dad got laid off. Soon he found himself in deep financial shit. Juggling a full-time job and a full-time school schedule did not sound appealing to him. So, he searched around to see what he could find, until something caught his eye. The Homestay Program!

He didn't know anyone that had done it, but he knew what it was. The Exchange bill was common knowledge at this point. And it worked like this: the host would house a foreign extra-species person, be it male or female, and assist them in transitioning into society. For American hosts that meant helping the homestays finish school, learn a trade, find work, seek a more permanent residence, or complete a path to citizenship. Length of stays were based on the liminals needs. The government was strict on who they approved to be hosts, but the benefits were worth it. Paid rent and utilities, and a government salary every month. So, he threw caution to the wind and applied. He wasn't expecting to hear anything back, but about a month later, a letter from the American Department of Cultural Exchange (ADCE for short) arrived in the mail. He was shocked! He couldn't believe it. He had been approved as a host.

He had met with his coordinator, a gruff older man in his mid-40's by the name of Rogers, who was a by-the-book kind of guy. Ioane signed the contract, and was soon moved from his tiny apartment into a larger house financed by the government. A week ago, Agent Rogers had informed him that his homestay would be moving in. Ioane had thought for days what kind of liminal his ward was going to be.

It could turn out to be a pretty cool dude that he could become buds with…

Or a hot babe!

Cool dude… or a hot babe!

According to Rogers, he had been chosen as a host because he and his homestay would have something in common. More than likely they'd be a new student at UHM and not from Hawaii or the US. And who would make a better guide than a native that had lived there all his life? To Ioane, that made sense.

A knock at the door knocked him from his thoughts. He opened the door to find Agent Rogers standing there dressed in a black suit with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.

"Good morning, Mr. Ioane. Are you ready to meet your homestay?"

The boy nodded. Rogers stepped inside and gave the inside of the house a quick glance over. Making sure that everything was neat and tidy. Satisfied, he turned around and started walking towards the door.

"Excellent," he replied.

"But one more thing," he said, stopping right in front of the entryway. He turned to look the boy in the eye.

"You have read the rules and regulations of the program, right? Particularly about one about 'no sex.'"

Ioane nodded in confusion. Any host that was caught having sex with a homestay faced prosecution, and charges equivalent of that of felony rape. Why would Rogers be reminding him of that now? He raised an eyebrow as a truck backed into the driveway. He watched from the doorway as Rogers spoke to the driver. The two men got out and opened the back door. Ioane's jaw dropped at what he saw next. It was a girl. A lamia! And an intoxicating beautiful one at that. She had bright blonde hair that looked to be as smooth as silk. She was wearing a _'UH Manoa'_ shirt that exposed her stomach. Though he figured the shirt was a size too small to fit over her large breasts. The scales on her tail were blue on the top, and gray underneath. She carried a large blue suitcase with her.

Rogers walked her to the door and handed her luggage to him. The boy set it down inside, then turned to extend his hand to her, "I'm Ioane. Nice to meet you."

The lamia smiled and gripped his hand, a customary greeting that she was used to.

"I'm Clarabelle, but people usually just call me Belle."

That's when he saw them, those bright golden eyes glaring back at him with a fierce confidence that made him wither under their gaze. She slithered inside and took a look around. The living room and kitchens were large and spacious enough for her to get around. Her bedroom was huge too, and that bed! Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree just staring at it.

"Do you like the place?" asked Ioane from behind.

She nodded, "It's wonderful."

"Good," said Rogers. "If you two need me, Mr. Ioane, I'll just be a phone call away."

He closed the door and went on his way, leaving the two of them behind. Ioane just kind of stood there nervously as Belle eyed the place up and down. The house had a bed, a toilet, a bath, running water, and central AC. All the things she considered to be luxuries. She laughed to herself. Half the appliances in the house she didn't even know how to use. A microwave? A stove? A coffee maker?! There were even machines that could wash and dry her clothes. Her silence was making him nervous.

"What's wrong?"

She turned around to face her new host, "Nothing. It's just that, it's all a bit too _much._ I've never even seen half of these things before."

She picked up a remote and started clicking it to see what it did. The fireplace sprung to life, causing her to jump in surprise. The remote hit the ground with a thud. Ioane crossed the room and picked it up, turning off the fire at the same time.

"Don't you have these kinds of these things where you're from?"

She shook her head, "I'm from a small island in the Northern Marianas. My village is tiny. We didn't have running water, electricity, or plumbing. I didn't know what those things were until I went to high school in Saipan. I slept on the ground for most of my life."

"Really? Wow."

Ioane shook his head in disbelief. And he thought that _his_ people were different. Here was someone straight out of the bush. They took a seat at the table, as Belle began to explain a bit of her past to him. Try as he might, he couldn't stop himself from making quick glances at her chest. Things got worse once he realized that she wasn't wearing a bra and that her erect nipples where poking through her shirt. He smiled and nodded, pretending to pay attention the best he could. The next time he stole a glance he didn't even realize that she had stopped talking. He looked up and found her smirking at him.

"Oh, were you trying to read my shirt?" She asked innocently.

"N-no!" he shouted defensively, before immediately changing his mind.

"I mean, yes. Yes, I was."

"But don't you go to this university?" She continued nonchalantly.

He just kind of sat there in silence, not saying anything, before quickly trying to change the subject.

"So, I'm assuming you're starting your freshman year?"

Belle shot him a wicked grin, as her golden eyes shone with an almost feral ferocity. Ioane winced.

"I've heard stories from my older sisters, and the other girls in my village that went abroad," she said.

"I'm not stupid. Or naive. You're a young man with a healthy sex drive. And you clearly find my body desirable. That doesn't make me angry. However; there are rules that we must follow. I don't want to be deported. And you probably don't want to go to jail. I'm fine if you want to stare, but just keep it in your pants."

Ioane threw his hands up, "Of course! I'm sorry for staring, really."

Belle laughed and cupped her breasts, pushing them up with her hands. Ioane's face turned beet red. She grabbed her shirt with both hands.

"If you want I can show them to you. It's fine as long as we're not having sex, right?"

She began pulling her shirt up to reveal herself, but he slammed his hands on the table and stood up quickly. He began waving his hands in front of his face.

"Please don't do that! It's not necessary. Nor is it decent behavior!"

She raised an eyebrow, "Oh, how is it not decent when we're in the privacy of our home? Or is it that you don't want to see me naked because I'm not your mate? If that's the case, then I can understand that too."

She lowered her arms, as Ioane breathed a sigh of relief, and sat back down.

"Lamias are a sexually aggressive species; we have to be in order to survive. That's part of our nature." She explained.

"Do I have to worry about you sneaking into my bed at night?" he asked bluntly.

She laughed and waved him off, "Oh heavens, no. I won't deny that I do have a healthy sex drive, but I have my own ambitions. I didn't come here for sex, or to find a husband. I came here to chase a dream."

"What kind of dream?" he asked.

Belle sighed and rested her hands on the table, "I want to be a pilot."

Ioane raised an eyebrow. "A pilot? That's an odd dream for a lamia. I suppose."

"I mean, how are you going to fit that big body of yours into a cockpit?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. But if there's a will, there's got to be a way, right? I just don't know where I should start."

"You could always try the US Air Force. Or maybe the US Navy. Though; the Air Force would be the better choice, I'd think. They have an office on the campus," he explained.

"The Air Force huh?" Belle replied.

"Are they the one's that fly the planes that land on the big ships?"

Ioane shook his head, "I think that's the Navy, but the Air Force has jet fighters too, and stealth bombers! And huge cargo planes. There's actually a base close to here where you can see the planes take off and land. I can take you there sometime."

Her face gleamed with delight, "Really? I'd love that. And do you think you could go with me to the Air Force office on campus sometime?"

He smiled, "Sure. I'd love to."

Belle returned the gesture. She was sure this as going to be the start of a wonderful friendship.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, Ioane had made good on his promises. He took Belle to the Hickam Air Force Base, where they watched all sorts of planes take off and land. She had even gotten to see the monstrous C-5 Galaxy. The sounds those engines made shook her to the core. It was awe inspiring. She had never seen an aircraft that huge in her life! Watching it gave her some hope. If something that huge could fly, then maybe she with her big body could as well.

Sometime later she found herself at the desk of the Air Force recruiter, who was extremely impressed with her resume. She graduated at the top of her high school class in Saipan, earned a full scholarship to the University of Hawaii at Manoa via the extra-species education program, and had chosen engineering as her career path. There weren't too many lamias in the USAF. The US Navy and the Marines both had large numbers of them, but few ever enlisted or commissioned into the Air Force. And an even fewer number of the ones that did were trying to be pilots. Was it even possible for a lamia to fly a plane? The recruiter had never seen one. But the girl seemed determined to try. Even if it wasn't possible, there were still plenty of other jobs that she could do. Behind those golden eyes of her, the recruiter saw endless amounts of potential. And just like that, Belle had joined the UHM's Air Force ROTC program. Later that evening, Ioane had gotten a phone call. It was Agent Rogers on the other line.

"I'm just calling to check on the two of you, kid. How's Belle doing, is she starting to grasp Hawaiian culture a bit? Is she transitioning well at the school?"

"Everything's fine with me, sir." He replied. Mumbling a _'thanks for asking,'_ under his breath.

"As for Belle, she uh, joined the Air Force ROTC and…"

"Woah, woah, woah! She what?!"

Rogers had cut him off mid-sentence. Ioane could hear static in the background followed by a big long groan.

"Oh God dammit…"

The agent swore out loud. There was a pause before Ioane spoke, "Is that going to be a problem, sir?"

"No, but it will create a ton of extra paperwork for me," Rogers explained.

"Ideally this Extra-species program is designed for you, the host, to keep an eye on the homestay and help them transition into society. Not the military. There are certain requirements in the ROTC that will require her to leave your side. And ordinary day passes won't cover them. MON will have to be informed of her status. She'll have to be registered here as part of the Air Force reserve. And then there's the issue of sorting out her scholarship too. If she accepts any money from the military, then she'll lose the one that we gave her, and that would likely get her booted from the program. The process is a real pain. You'll just have to bring her by the office, and we'll get everything sorted out."

"Will it affect my contract?"

"As long as she does not enlist, then you're fine," Rogers spoke.

"If she enlists, then we'll have no choice but to terminate the contract immediately. She'd be a member of the US military then. There'd be nothing the ADCE could do for her anymore."

Meanwhile, Belle just had to stop and admire herself in the mirror one last time as she adjusted her hat. She was wearing her camouflaged uniform, slightly modified to fit her lower body. Her long hair was done up in a bun. She placed her hands behind her back, palm in palm, and struck a pose. She looked confident. Fearless. And she liked that. The Air Force seemed to be a perfect fit.

* * *

As the years dragged on, Belle advanced her studies as a ROTC cadet. She learned about the Air Force's structure of command. She learned what she needed to know about military arms, conflicts, laws, and professions. She learned how to hone her leadership skills. She learned how to advance her communication skills through public speaking and writing classes. She took part in ceremonies and drills. She learned how to fire a weapon. And how to wear the different uniforms properly. Her superiors were very impressed with her survival skills. Though; given the nature of her upbringing, roughing it in the wild was second nature to her. But Belle took the opportunity to advance them even further. Having the lower body of a snake didn't hamper her physical fitness test scores either. She could do pushups and sit ups no problem. And she was actually a lot faster on the ground than her human classmates, and a few of the liminals too. The PFT scores, not just for her, but for all extra-species had to be normalized first. And for Belle, with her tail being made of muscle, while still being extremely flexible, made most physical tasks easy. She could raise her human half up off the ground and reach heights of 15 feet just by using the strength of her tail to boost her.

Her superiors noticed three distinct traits to her personality. She was stubborn, highly competitive, and fiercely determined. In her village, all of the other children were like sisters to her, and at times there were up to 50 or more of them living there. Everything was a competition. Gathering food, getting attention from the patriarchs or elders, even playtime. For the tribe, the older you were, the more respect you had. Because of your perceived wisdom and experience. And the older kids weren't about to listen to the brats. Belle usually preferred playing by herself as a result. And she would always log her successes and failures. If she found a quick new route up the mountain, then she would insist that hers was the best one to take, unless someone found a quicker one. Her fishing spot was the most productive, unless proven otherwise. Her stargazing cliff was the most enjoyable, unless someone could do better. She didn't like to follow others, unless they could prove themselves to be competent first. She was also one of those types of people that once having made up their mind to do something, would see it through to the bitter end. By the end of her sophomore year, she was in the top five of her class academically. When asked by one of the other top students what drove her so hard, her response was "What's the point of doing something if I don't try my best?" Leaving her classmate to theorize that Belle had been competing with herself too.

She was living at home with Ioane as her host. Eventually he did get over his insecurities about living with her, and began to treat her like he would a male homestay. True to her word, Belle never pursued sex with him. Though she did tease him quite a bit. Usually offering him the chance to see her naked if he was having a bad day. During nights with a full moon, when her libido did peak, Ioane simply locked his door and didn't go out. It was a simple solution. He often heard loud moaning and groaning noises coming from her room those nights, but he had never asked about them. They did spend a lot of time out together as host and homestay, but they hung out as friends too. One thing that Ioane had that Belle really enjoyed was a game console called the N64. It was still state of the art at the time. She really liked the shooting games, and a few of the platforms and racers weren't too bad either. Her favorite was Turok. Because who wouldn't love a game where you ran around killing dinosaurs, aliens, demons, mutants, robots, and shamans with all sorts of futurist weapons? They had a lot of fun times together, and she learned a lot about American culture as a result.

By the start of her junior year Ioane, who had since graduated, had started dating a girl that he really liked. As a result, he renegotiated his contract as a host, and signed it over to his mom and dad so that they could take over as Belle's new guardians. Meaning that she was moved from the house that she and Ioane had shared for two years, and into his parent's home. The move had helped his folks out of a financial hole, even though the ACDE did repossess the house, but that had been his decision to make. And in the end, Belle wasn't angry. His parent's home was only a 20-minute walk from the campus. She had also learned about human and liminal culture through her friends at ROTC as well, and the courtship of dating by watching a few of them, and Ioane and his girlfriend. She was happy with her life.

But at the same time, she had continuously expressed her desire to try and become a pilot. Her instructors had already known about that, but now it was on paper and official. That was the path she was going to take. The question was, could she? She had done well on the simulator, and had passed all her physicals. Her eyesight was right where it needed to be. The height of her human half was fine; it was just her big ass snake body holding her back. Her instructors tried to steer her into another field, but she refused. She wanted the same opportunities to succeed or fail as anyone else. Luckily for Belle, she was not the only lamia trying to apply for a pilot's position in the USAF that year. Or even just an air force in general. In fact, extra-species from all over the world entered military service. All different shapes. All different sizes. Male and female. Even if their existences had not been public knowledge, the United States had documents of liminals participating in every war of theirs since WWI. Vietnam was the first war where extra-species got to serve openly alongside mankind. And since then, the US had made strides to update its equipment. In the previous years, the US had begun phasing out their old Cessna T-37's, the Tweety Birds, and replacing them with their new Beechcraft T-6A's. However; modified Tweety Birds were still operational.

During the 1970's, the Peruvian Air Force had commissioned a small number of modified T-37's. They had a longer nose and a wider cockpit, and the center sticks were mounted at a different angle. The modified Tweety Birds were much larger than the originals, but were still rated at the same level of power and speed. Just with a larger engine. Why did they do this? During the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War of the 1940's, which was fought over a land dispute between the two countries, several tribes of Quetzalcoatl, a species of dragon liminal, had their homes destroyed. With nowhere to go, they pledged their loyalty to the Peruvian government in exchange for protection. A large number of them wound up serving in the Peruvian military; air force included. As a result of their success, a squadron was created. The tradition of employing capable Quetzalcoatl men and women as pilots continued into the 70's and 80's as extra-species relationships began to develop. Long story short, there was equipment that Belle could use. Other countries had created similar designs, and the US began modifying a small number of their aircraft for liminal use. All her superiors had to do was make those planes available for her to fly, and she would get her opportunity to become a pilot. Truly; Belle had been born at the right time.

The rest of her college days flew by fast, and soon Belle found herself standing with the rest of her classmates at their commencement ceremony. She was now a commissioned officer in the US Air Force. Her mother had been in attendance, having travelled all the way from the Northern Marianas. Once the ceremony had concluded, Belle's mother slithered up to her and threw her arms around her in a giant hug. She had a big smile on her face.

"I'm so proud of you, honey. Look at your uniform! And your cap. And all these ribbons!"

Belle had earned awards in academia, athletics, leadership, and the Warriors Spirit among others. The ribbons she wore pinned to the left side of her jacket. Her navy-blue buttoned coat designated her as an official member of the United States Air Force. And the golden bars on the shoulders of her jacket, as well as her cap, reflected her new rank as an officer. She was no longer Cadet Belle, but rather 2nd Lieutenant Belle.

"I keep thinking back to all those times when the two of us would watch the ships from the shore when you were still a little girl, and we would watch the planes fly by at a distance," her mother said, reminiscing.

"Every time I'd see you look up at those big metal birds flying, your eyes would light up like the Sun."

Her voice trailed off as she stared into her daughter's eyes. Golden pupils clashed with golden pupils.

"I knew the road you were going to travel down was going to be a rough one, Belle. But I never doubted you for a second. You worked so hard, for so long, and I'm so glad that you're going to be able to realize your dream. On top of being a college graduate, you're an officer in the military that protects our island. I couldn't be prouder."

Belle started to tear up, before shooting her mother one of the widest grins in her life. Her mother was sure her daughter's face would split if her smile any bigger. Tears rolled down her face, as she lunged forward and held her mother tight.

"I'm going to do it, Mama. I'm going to learn how to fly! And once I get my wings, I'll be the best damn pilot that I can be."

* * *

After obtaining her order of merit, Belle was selected to undergo undergraduate flight training. She was introduced to a real airplane, with real gauges, and real instruments, all behind a very real engine. She had been cleared to fly one of the modified Cessna's to log her introductory hours. She was so nervous the first time she had approached it. Normal Tweets were about 30 feet long and weighed the same amount as a mid-sized SUV. The modified Tweets were 10 feet longer, twice as wide, and weighed half a ton more. Her instructor looked rather amused as she tried to enter the cockpit for the first time. It wasn't as easy as stepping up, then over, then down into the seat. She had to raise her tail up above her head and into the seat first, feeling around for the empty space of the floor. Next, she used her tail muscles to catapult her body into the air, all the way up to the top of the door, which was opened like a hatch. That earned her a whistle from her instructor, who was clearly impressed by her strength and flexibility. She began to coil her tail around the floor of the cockpit, minding the center stick, lowering her human half into the seat. It was a tight squeeze for her tail, but she could reach all the controls just fine.

The instructor cocked his head and asked her to exit the plane. And she did, with alarming speed too. All she did was stand. And once the portion of her tail that fused what would have been her legs together, she balanced on the side of the craft and just jumped to the tarmac, letting gravity do the rest. He asked her to enter the plane once more. And she did, using the same method as before, although a little bit faster this time. Satisfied; he gave her a big smile and entered the cockpit on the opposite side. He shut the door, and proceeded to give her a little refresher of the gauges and controls. The other pilot candidates were receiving introductory training on the Beechcraft's, and that's what the training their senior years had prepped them for. This girl had only been approved to fly on this aircraft due to her unique body style, and yet she seemed to know the location of all the switches, and what the gauges did just fine. Even though this was a modified Tweet, the controls and dials were all the same. But still; it was impressive.

After some quick checks, Belle was ready to fly. She had to steady her nerves the first time she fingered the throttle. The instructor told her to apply thrust, as the plane moved down the runway. The aircraft started to lift, and suddenly they were in the air! Belle's training took over as he helped guide her. As soon as they were level, he backed off a bit and let her take the controls. She looked out the window to her left, looking down at the world below. This wasn't the first time she had ever flown, but it was the first time she had flown while piloting. And then it hit her. She was piloting! She was flying. She was really fucking flying! Once it was time to land, the instructor helped her guide the plane in. The landing was a little bit rough, but he had assured her that was normal for newbies.

As the plane came to a halt, Belle looked down at her trembling hands. She had flown. She had really done it. She looked back on all the time and effort that she had spent on chasing this dream. Having to listen to people that had doubted her, who told her it was impossible, or unlikely, because she was a lamia, and her big body was going to hold her back. She clenched her fists as she started to choke up, overcome with emotion. _"What now?'_ Is what she wanted to say to all the people that thought she'd never be able to fly a plane. She was so happy, that she immediately broke down. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

* * *

 **6 Years Later…**

 **Al Udeid Air Base. Doha, Qatar…**

Qatar was hot. Really hot. With temperatures exceeding 105°F (40°C) in the summertime, the harsh desert climate proved to be a fearsome test for its inhabitants. With the War on Terror seemingly never-ending, more and more soldiers, officers, and personnel had been deployed there. Both mankind and extra-species. And the USAF was no exception. The titanic roar of eight jet engines cracked the sky, as a large plane appeared upon the horizon, entering its final descent into the base. Once landed, another giant soon appeared in the sky behind it, on its way to the base. These were the venerable, but still reliable B-52 Stratofortress's. Long range strategic bombers that were completing their long journey across the Atlantic, from Barksdale in Louisiana. Considered a Cold War relic by some, the B-52's were still the most cost-efficient bombers in the Air Force. Sure, the Bone's had power, and the B2's had stealth, but the Buff's had grace.

From out of the sky, a third one appeared, and landed on the runway with a soft thud. Its yellow parachute deployed, slowing the massive aircraft down. The pilot steered the plane onto the tarmac where the other bombers were waiting. These three Buff's were part of the same squadron; the crews were going to be in Qatar for several months. The planes usually flew with crews of five; sometimes four. A pilot, copilot, a navigator, and a weapons system officer were typical setups. Major Browne, the pilot of the lead craft, was this small squadrons commander. He was already out of his craft, talking to the lieutenant colonel, who led another larger squadron that had arrived the day before. The major's had been the last to arrive. The lt. colonel was going to be assuming deputy command of a group that consisted of all the bomber squadrons on base starting that day. He had been going around introducing himself to the pilots.

The crew on the last plane began to disembark. The hatch on the bottom of the monster opened. The navigator climbed down first, followed by the weapons system officer. Their seats were positioned at the bottom of the craft. The WSO mentioned something to the navigator, and the two shared a laugh. They were a pair of captains, who were quite capable at their jobs. The co-pilot exited next. He was a 1st lieutenant. Being a newly minted B-52 pilot, he didn't have the experience flying the craft that the pilot did. He began to chat with the other members of his crew when Major Browne and the lt. colonel approached them. The lt. colonel had assumed that the lieutenant was the pilot, but the younger man quickly denied this.

A banging noise from inside the plane got their attention, when suddenly a head appeared from the entrance of the hatch. It looked left and then right, before lowering to reveal the body of a woman in uniform. She hung there, suspended in mid-air, clutching her helmet in her arms. She disappeared back into the craft, and proceeded to drop two bags onto the ground. When she lowered herself again, this time all of her crewmates, the major, and the lt. colonel staring at her. The major was about to say something, when her body turned and swung forward. Instead of falling flat on her face, a large coil fell to the ground first, almost as if she had jumped down. But she didn't have any legs! She grabbed her gear and righted herself. As she exited the plane, the coil turned out to be a tail. A long blue tail. The lt. colonel looked stunned. The woman was a lamia. The senior field officer approached the girl, who immediately recognized him as a superior and snapped into a salute.

"At ease. You're the pilot of this bird?" he asked.

She nodded, and introduced herself, "Yes Sir, I'm Captain Belle."

The lt. colonel, who looked to be a man in his late 40's, just kind of chuckled to himself in amusement. He gazed at her uniform, and saw the badge that all USAF pilots wore on a patch embroidered on her left breast. She had the double bars, which designated her rank, sewn on another patch on her sleeve. He was stunned. A lamia pilot? That was a rarity. He had served in the air force for over 25 years, and couldn't even recall the last time he had met one.

"How did you, uh, fit into the cockpit?" he asked rather bluntly.

Belle had caught the curiosity in his voice. She slithered over to the underside of the plane, and started lifting herself off the ground with her tail, until she was high enough to bang her palm against the underside of the plane.

"The cockpit is extended under the dash board, and the center stick has been modified so that I can fit my body in there. It's a tight fit though. The way the ejection system works is that the entire front section of the nose will be blown off, and the pilots seat will fall forward through a section in the frame, instead of rocketing up. It was designed for large liminals, Sir."

The lt. colonel nodded his head and told her to keep up the good work. He turned and started to chat with the other members of her crew, as Belle grabbed her bags and made her way inside. Al Udeid had a reputation for being a dirty base, but compared to her village, it was practically the Four Seasons.

Belle had earned her pilots license the year after she graduated college. Once certified, she was transferred to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in southern Arizona, where she was assigned to the engineering corps. As a pilot, she flew training missions in the T-38A, which served as one of the planes that trainees flew during their specialized training. She was an instructor. Her Talon had a modified cockpit, and was used to train large extra-species. When she wasn't flying, she led a team of technical sergeants. They worked on coming up with functional designs for cockpits that would make it possible for large liminals such as herself to serve on a plane. Or one of her sergeants, who was a 9'0" tall male troll. As such, Belle had spent a lot of time in the Boneyard. A massive outdoor storage area located in the desert, used to house equipment that wasn't seeing service. Most of the planes here were going to be scrapped eventually. Cut up and likely buried somewhere in the shifting sands.

She rented a place in Tucson, and lived there for three years. The weather was mostly hot and dry, but being a poikilotherm, she preferred that over an area that was wet and cold. It was the time that she had spent out in the Boneyard that had first attracted her to the B-52's. Lovingly called the big ugly fat fuckers (Buff's) by their pilots, a large number of these bombers were being upgraded with new equipment and weapons systems. Which included the one she would later fly to Qatar. After two years as an active officer, she was automatically promoted to 1st lieutenant. After another year of service at Davis-Monthan, she applied for strategic bomber pilots training. Her application was accepted, and she was transferred to Barksdale Air Force Base in northern Louisiana to begin learning how to fly the Buff. Living there was fine until winter hit. Belle had never seen snow, nor had she spent any prolonged amounts of time in the bitter cold. Needless to say, she had been miserable.

One time it had been so cold outside that her body immediately began to shut down and she collapsed on her porch. She likely would have been in deep shit if it hadn't been for her neighbor and fellow officer, with whom she carpooled with. She'd sooner go back to Arizona and bake in the desert heat than face the cold. She was now very, very grateful that she hadn't been transferred to the Minot Air Force Base up in North Dakota. She wouldn't have survived. After her fourth year of service as an officer, she was promoted to captain. Shortly afterwards she earned her certification to fly the B-52. Joining a short and elite list of female pilots to have done so.

Her first two years as a bomber pilot were mostly served running routine training exercises with other aircraft like F-15C's, F-16C's, and KC-135's, continuous bomber presence missions (CBP's), weapon systems tests, high-altitude maneuvering, and sorties down through the Pacific. She had stationed in Guam. It tickled her knowing she was only a few hundred miles from her home island. Shortly after her sixth anniversary as an officer, Belle found herself deployed to the Middle East, where she found herself flying sorties over Afghanistan. She still remembered her first combat assignment. She had spent hours with Major Browne, the lt. colonel, and the other pilots in the group reviewing the data for the mission. They were targeting Taliban training facilities. She could still remember how sweaty her palms were as the target appeared on the radar.

"Target spotted," radioed the navigator.

"Pilot keep your current pace."

"Roger that," she relied.

"Target is locked," confirmed the WSO.

"Payload released."

Belle watched on her monitor as over 60,000 pounds of bombs were dropped onto the training facility below. If anyone had been present on the ground, then they'd be dead now. Maybe her actions that day hadn't resulted in the deaths of people. Enemies or not, they were still people. She had flown other sorties where enemy causalities had been confirmed by ground troops. She hadn't given it much thought when she was younger; about piloting a weapon of war one day. She had just wanted to fly. She could tell herself that these were bad people that deserved to die, and that she was protecting the US. And by extension her home island in the Marianas. But she still had a conscious. It was a hard knowing that you had just blown other people straight to kingdom come.

She remembered speaking to her squadron commander, Major Browne, about it in private. They were sitting in the mess hall after the work day had ended. Browne himself was a liminal man; a Pan. He always kept the hair and wool on his face and body shaved, trimmed, and groomed. He probably could have passed as human if not for the horns on his head and the hooves on his feet. He was a professional. And Belle respected him a lot.

"In my mind, I know what we're doing here is right. But it just feels wrong having to take someone's else's life for the cost of peace," Belle stated.

"I never realized how sheltered my life was growing up until I joined the military. And I never realized how naive I had been about the nature of becoming an air force pilot until I came here. What should I do about this, because sooner or later, these missions will haunt me. I just know they will."

She explained herself the best she could. The Major sighed. He then spoke from the heart, and tried to give her the best advice that he could.

"I've been an officer for a long time, Belle. This isn't my first deployment either. And it probably won't be my last. Who knows. Very few people sign up for the military actually wanting to see active combat. It's an unfortunate side effect of war. It's awful. We're lucky that the US is peaceful. If you want my advice, I'd say steel yourself the best that you can. You don't have to block your emotions out completely, but don't let them control you either. If you do, you'll wind up becoming a danger to yourself and your crew. You're a good pilot. And the Air Force needs more people like you."

Six months later she returned to Barksdale in Louisiana after her deployment ended. Belle had taken Major Browne's words to heart. She steeled herself, and tried her best not to let her emotions cloud her judgement. She devoted herself 100% to the cause. No matter what. As a result, her personality became colder and more cynical. Her once flirtatious and fun-loving attitude slowly began to fade. In about three more years she'd be eligible for promotion to major herself, but there were a few things that she had to do before going in front of the military board.

Her new apartment in Bossier City was much closer to the base than before; within walking distance if she wanted to do so. She entered the bathroom and turned the faucet on, letting her long blond hair fall across her shoulders as she undid her bun. She splashed her face with water and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her golden yellow eyes stared back. They were once so full of energy and determination. She could shake the resolve of anyone that dared to challenge her with those eyes, but now they looked so dull. What had happened to her? Had the affects from the deployment really gotten to her that much? At the end of the day, she did what she was asked, and carried out her missions exactly as planned. So why…

Why…

Why did she feel so empty?


	2. Meet James and Nadezhda

Author's Notes:

I have split this chapter into five different sections to make it easier to read. I case anyone is wondering, I did not split this chapter into multiple smaller ones because it's part of the prologue. I plan to write four prologue chapters, with this being the second, before I start the main story. I figure reading four introductory chapters might be less annoying than reading twelve.

Quite a bit of research went into writing this chapter, and I feel pretty good about it. I experimented with a few things in this chapter as well. Parts 3 and 4 went through two separate drafts before I settled on something that I liked.

This chapter has a lot of technical terms and abbreviations as well. This isn't a list of all of them, but it's either those that appear quite often, or those that I feel are significant, and aren't clearly defined in the chapter.

 **HP** – Homestay Program

 **ADCE** – American Department of Cultural Exchange

 **HPSA** – Homestay Program Service Agent

 **USAF** – United States Air Force

 **ROTC** – Reserve Officers Training Corp

 **OTS** – Officers Training School

 **AFB** – Air Force Base

 **OT** – Officer Trainee

 **IFT** – Initial Flight Training

 **SUPT** – Specialty Undergraduate Pilot's Training

 **GC** – General Contractor

 **AIAS** – American Institute of Architectural Students

Also, I'd like to thank ChillingComrade for letting me bounce a few ideas off of him, and for providing me with a few tidbits about his country and culture as well. As for the rest of you, please enjoy this little love story that I have crafted.

* * *

Meet James and Nadezhda

 ** _\- Part 1 -_**

 **7 years ago…**

 **And a new homestay…**

Colorado. One of the most beautiful places to visit if you love the mountains. A paradise for the outdoorsman. It was summer. And for those with the time and money to burn, there were a myriad of activities to take part in. About an hour north of Denver ran the Poudre River. A great kayaking location for both seasoned veterans, and young thrill seekers just looking to have a good time.

The waters churned as a trio of kayaks plowed through the waves. It was nothing but Class 3 and Class 4 rapids through this stretch of water. One of the riders surfed the current over a boulder, and smashed through a large rapid at the bottom, causing him to flip over. The kayaker looked a little embarrassed as his buddy paddled up behind him. Another one of his friends came up beside them and pointed his paddle ahead. They were only getting started with the rough stuff today.

The kayaker that had taken a dip started paddling to catch up to his pals. His name was James Carter. He had just graduated college that spring. He and his friends and been coming here to kayak for years, and this was their last hoorah together before they all got jobs, and went their own separate ways. As James maneuvered his craft across the waves, he began to reminisce about all the fun memories that he had made with his buddies. Once the trip was over, he was going to return to his mostly ordinary life in Aurora, located about 30 minutes outside of Denver. He had graduated with a degree in logistics. Not a whole lot of people opted to enter that field, but logicians were in demand right now, and the jobs paid well. He had been worried about working like a dog for a menial salary.

It had taken him an extra year to complete his studies, due to him dicking around his first semester, and not knowing what he wanted to do with his life. Even after graduating, he _still_ didn't really know what he wanted to do. James was going through the motions like he always seemed to do. The three comrades continued to make their way down river, where his friend's pickup was parked. More than likely they'd throw all their gear in the back, and then go get drunk at a bar or something. All of them had earned a night out. They were graduates now.

In order to avoid having to take out mountains of financial aid to pay for his classes, James found an opportunity to earn money by volunteering for the Homestay Program (HP.) Extra-species were a common sight in the US, thanks to the American Department of Cultural Exchange (ADCE) offering liminals opportunities that they wouldn't get in other countries. The agency had been founded shortly after the cultural exchange bill had been signed into law during the 1960's. Most foreign liminals took advantage of the program. James had already been a host twice. One of his friends had convinced him to volunteer his sophomore year. Though his buddy's experience as a host did not end well. His friend had _not_ been assaulted by his homestay. He did _not_ seduce and have wild sex with his charge either. Instead, he seduced and had wild sex with his coordinator. What a legend! That act of passion had cost his pal his contract, and the coordinator her job. Hilariously enough, the two of them had actually dated for another year and a half before breaking things off.

James knew better. He tried to treat the program, and his position, with respect. His first homestay was a bullywug girl from the UK named Florence. She stayed with him for two years while she completed graduate school. She moved back home once she finished, but they still kept in touch every once and a while. His second homestay was a male oni from Mexico named Hector, who played basketball at the University of Denver. Hector, who stood at 7'0, was a pretty cool and mellow dude, despite his massive size. James only had him for a year until he transferred to another college that offered him more money on a better scholarship.

After Hector left, James took a break from being a host so that he could focus on school. However; he had recently signed another contract. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do in the future, and he liked being a host. His doorbell rang. James opened his eyes and looked up. It was morning. He looked at his phone; the digital clock read 12:07 PM. He cursed, and got out of bed. The doorbell rang again. He went into the bathroom and washed his face. He looked into the mirror to find a pair of bloodshot eyes. His head was pounding. What happened last night? He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten that drunk. His phone started ringing. He walked over and answered it.

"Hello?... Yeah, I'm here… No. I just got really wasted last night… was that today? Christ, I forgot. Well, just come inside. I'll make some coffee…"

The door to his apartment opened to reveal an ADCE-HP coordinator. Agent Carlisle was her name. She was of average height and build, and had long dark hair. She was wearing a black suit and tie. She made her way over to the kitchen table and sat down.

"Rough night?" she asked.

James smiled, "More like a fun night. Of which I cannot remember a thing, other than me and my buddies going kayaking."

"Any particular reason?"

"Yeah, we graduated this past May. If you can believe that…"

James took his coffee, and joined her at the table. He had offered her some, but she declined. No caffeine for her in the afternoon.

"Oh, well then congratulations," Agent Carlisle said, being completely genuine.

"Thanks. Though, I have no idea what I want to do. Figured I'd host another liminal in the meantime. I'd like another college student. I have no idea what my schedule's going to be once I start working, and those kids are easy to manage."

"Calling them kids already, I see."

The coordinator smiled. James blew on his coffee before taking a sip, "I'll be half a decade older than a new freshman. That's what they look like to me now."

The coordinator started laughing, "I'm turning 33 this year. To me _you're_ still a kid. You have your whole life in front of you, James. You'll find something to do eventually."

She pulled out a folder and placed it on the table. She pulled out a document and handed it to him. He looked it over and tried to read it, but his vision was blurring. He still had a massive headache.

"I want to say in Aurora," he stated.

She nodded, "Noted. We've already got your new house renovated. And it's a lot nicer than your last one too."

He raised an eyebrow, "By nicer, you must mean bigger."

Agent Carlisle grinned, "I guess you could say that…"

She trailed off a bit. James wasn't a novice when it came to reading his coordinator. The two had been partnered since the beginning. He knew how to read her body language now. She was being fishy, and that bothered him.

"So, you've already found me a homestay?"

She handed him several pieces of paper to sign, "Indeed young man. She'll be moving into your new home by the end next month."

She?... Interesting…

Living with Florence had been all well and good. And James wasn't the type to be flustered over seeing some lady parts on accident. He was a gentleman. Or at least he tried to be. His mama didn't raise no pervert. He knew the laws. And he wasn't about to go to jail over some illegal pussy. And with that thought, he finished signing all of his paperwork.

* * *

The next month came and went. James moved out of his old apartment, and into the home that he would be sharing with his new charge for however long the contract lasted. He had gotten a laugh when he saw the house. Carlisle hadn't lied. The home _was_ bigger. Not by square footage, but by height. Particularly the ceilings. That meant he could cross a large bodied liminal like an arachne, centaur, or lamia off his mental list. They required spacious rooms. One of the beds was much larger than normal, and one of the bathrooms had been enlarged. And doorframes were much taller than normal. James had a pretty good idea of what kind of liminal this girl was going to be.

And then the day came. Agent Carlisle met him at the door. They were outside chatting when a large pick up truck pulled into the driveway. The driver got out first, followed by his new homestay. All things considered, she could have passed as a normal girl if it weren't for the five-inch long horn sticking out of her forehead. She had long, dark hair that stretched halfway down her back. She was wearing sandals. Her jeans were rocking that ripped hole look that the younger kids were going for. She was wearing a while halter top that showed off her tanned skin and large… James had to do a double take on that one. Sweet baby Jesus! He had never seen a pair of jugs that massive and perky in his life. Granted they appeared to be sized proportionally to her body in a way that wasn't comical, but still that was an understatement. She was huge! Giant even. She must have stood well over 7'0 tall by his guess.

She was an ogress. His guess hadn't been that far off. He was expecting to house another oni. Same family of species. The ceilings in the house were 10'0 tall, and the doorframes stood a full foot higher than regulation. That was too short for most trolls, and barely manageable for some minotaurs. That didn't leave many possibilities left. The girl grabbed her suitcase from the bed of the truck and started to walk towards the front of the house. The driver was conversing with Agent Carlisle, getting some paperwork signed, as James proceeded to approach her and introduce himself.

"I'm James; I'm the host. May I take your bag?"

She looked down at him a bit perplexed, "You're my host? But you're so young. I was expecting someone a lot older…"

The girl had a thick accent, but her English sounded fine. She got a bit flustered, and handed her luggage to James to take. Her name was Nadezhda. Pronounced _'Na-desh-da.'_ He decided to make a mental note of that. Her name did not roll well off his tongue. The ogress entered the house and began to look around. She was impressed with the fact that she didn't have to duck under anything. Soon, she and James began conversing. She was eighteen years old. Five years younger than he was. She was born in Russia in the Ural Mountains, and had been offered a scholarship by the ADCE's education department. She accepted, much to the ire of her parents. They had wanted her to stay in her home country, but Nadezhda wanted to travel and see the outside world. Although; she wanted to go somewhere that reminded her of home. After some research, she settled on the Rocky Mountains in Colorado simply because of the university there.

"It's my dream to be an architect one day," she explained to him.

"And there weren't that many accredited schools in the country, with the location that I wanted."

She seemed like a really sweet girl. James had a feeling that he was really going to enjoy being her host.

* * *

 ** _\- Part 2 -_**

 **A year later…**

 **And a growing attraction…**

Nadezhda was finishing up her final exams for the winter term. In just a few short months she'd be a sophomore, and that felt a little surreal. She missed her mother and father dearly, and spoke to them on Skype on her laptop whenever she could. She wasn't sure if she was going to return home after graduating, or apply for a work permit and remain in the States. For James, nothing changed, except for his schedule once he found a job and started working. His pay was good for an entry level position, but he was being worked like a dog. And he hated that. On the bright side, with the government salary that he earned every month, he could afford to save some money back. He had started calling his homestay "Nadia" for short, because he still found pronouncing her full name to be a pain. The two of them spent a lot of time together hanging out, and quickly became friends. Which had been a nice change of pace for him as a host. Florence and Hector had been good people, but they had either kept to themselves, or had other interests.

Florence had been a poikilotherm, and did not like cold weather. At all. And half the year Colorado was cold. As a result, she didn't go out much unless it was necessary. She came to the States to study, and James had respected that. Hector was the opposite. He was there to play basketball and party. They had always been cool with each other, but the Homestay Program (HP) had been way too restrictive for the oni. It was little wonder to James why his former charge had chosen to bounce as soon as a better offer had come his way. But Nadezhda was different. Not knowing a whole lot about American culture, she relied on him. And that gave him a good feeling. It's why he had signed up to be a host in the first place.

James took her to go skiing. She had been a couple of times in Russia, and wanted to see what American powder was all about. Colorado held the reputation of having some of the best slopes in the world. He was a good skier himself, having spent the last five years living in the Denver area, which had a number of ski resorts only an hour or two away. An easy weekend trip for some college kids. But nothing prepared him for the sight of watching her ski. Nadezhda had been graceful. Elegant even. Like a giant hovercraft gliding over the surface of a glassy sea. Okay; she wasn't _that_ large, but she did have to have custom skis. But watching her, James had become entranced. She was athletic, and loved the outdoors as much as he did. She always asked to tag along whenever he and his buddies went on a trip. Got to the point where most people that knew him just assumed that they were dating.

The next summer brought a couple of financial issues, on top of several woes. First, racoons chewed through the plastic soffit on the side of the house, and infested the attic. All the repairs, which included replacing the insulation where they had ruined it, were covered in his contract. What wasn't covered was the damage the vermin had caused while they were up there. They had gotten ahold of and ruined an old motorcycle helmet that had belonged to James' father. A chair he was planning on repainting had teeth marks gnawed up and down the legs. And worst of all, the little fuckers had gotten into a box of tax documents. They had chewed through the cardboard, and soiled it. Not only had the cleanup been a pain, but he had to make sure that none of the papers that had been destroyed were important. And that was a headache and a half, since most of them were related to his previous stints as a host. Nadezhda helped where she could, and James had really appreciated that. The whole ordeal had been pretty amusing to her; especially listening to him swear vengeance against the overgrown rodents if they ever came back. She helped him repair, sand, and paint the chair that had been damaged. It was the first project they had ever done together.

Next, his beloved Toyota Landcruiser, having grown tired of living, breathed its final breath and perished. James had been inconsolable the entire day. The SUV had been even older than he was. His father bought it in the mid 80's and drove it regularly, giving him lots of memories of riding in it as a child. He had inherited it on his 16th birthday, and drove it all through college. Even though the paint was faded, and the body was covered in dents, scratches, and rust spots, he had loved that car. It had been his baby. Nadezhda liked it, because she could actually fit into it and not look hilarious in the process. With her big body, fitting into most cars was a hassle. A Mini Cooper might as well have been a Power Wheels toy to her. With no transportation for them to use, James had to make a choice. The ADCE would loan out vehicles to hosts like him, whose homestay's had special needs. He couldn't afford a great big truck with all the bells and whistles on it, and anything provided to him by the government would be repossessed after his contracted ended. Still, they needed something. Preferably a vehicle that they could drive in bad weather, and still be able to seat Nadezhda in comfort. So he bit the bullet, filled out a request form, and by end of the week James found a red Silverado 2500 HD pickup truck sitting in his driveway. It was far from the newest model on the market, and showed some visible wear, but it met their needs.

Not completely satisfied, James wanted to get another vehicle. Preferably something that Nadezhda could use herself. Colorado had dense urban areas, and it was too far for her to walk to her destinations. She had a pass which allowed her to travel to stores, markets, and to her school without having to be constantly escorted, but he felt that she deserved some additional autonomy. After talking to her about it, the pair had come to a decision. They were going to get a motorcycle. Why a motorcycle? They were cheap, fuel efficient, and an ogress could ride one in comfort and style. James took her down to the DMV and applied for testing. It was a bit more of a hassle getting her paperwork squared away with Agent Carlisle, because she needed to earn her drivers license first. Colorado issued endorsements instead of licenses for motorcycles. And a drivers license was required. While it wasn't against the law for foreign liminals to learn how to drive, it was uncommon. Unless they were planning to seek permanent residence in the States. However; Nadezhda insisted that she planned to stay in the US after graduation for at least a few years, as there was more opportunity here than in her home country. Ultimately; the ADCE approved her paperwork, and she began to learn how to drive. It turned out to be an easier process than she thought. The written test was a breeze, and she got to drive James' truck for the driving portion. She had to put the seat all the way back, but she made it work.

James had enough money saved to buy another vehicle at that point. He just never did because the Landcruiser had all the charm and functionality that he wanted. But he wanted to stay within a budget. Being a host had perks, but the ADCE wasn't going to give her a motorcycle just because he asked for it. This wasn't some fairy tale where the government moved hosts into giant mansions, with indoor swimming pools and large Japanese style baths pre-installed. He wasn't going to have some imaginary harem of beautiful liminal girls fawning all over him at every turn. The house he and Nadezhda shared was barely 1,200 square foot. It was very basic, save for the ceiling, door, and windows heights. Their bedrooms and bathrooms were small. But James wasn't going to complain, because he wasn't the one paying the bills. This was different, and he wasn't trying to spend a fortune on these bikes. Yes, plural. He was buying himself one, too. He had always wanted a sport bike.

After passing their written and vision tests for the motorcycle training, the two friends began to learn how to ride. It was a memorable and fun experience for both. James had gotten a laugh watching her trying to control the power and torque of the bike, while she found it amusing watching the machine constantly stall from his poor timing with the clutch. Shortly afterwards, they had both passed their road tests and earned their endorsements. By the fall, they were ready to throw the money down. Nadezhda still planned to drive the truck when the opportunity arose, but she was really looking forward to just being out on the open road. She had an adventurers spirit, and was a bit of a daredevil. So was her host. And that was one of the things that she really liked about him. He could be a tightwad at times, but he really did like going out and having fun when the opportunity arose.

James soon found himself staring at the monstrosity in front of him. Nadezhda had really wanted a Kawasaki. The bike she had chosen was a Ninja 250R. The Honda CBR250R that he had bought for himself had been $300 cheaper. The problem was that her bike had to be modified further for her to ride it. The handlebars were lengthened, the seat raised a little higher, the tires were thicker, and the engine's output had been increased from 250cc to 300cc. All the alterations had raised the price of the bike to a degree that he was not comfortable with. And he was currently trying to haggle with the salesmen to no avail. In the end, he caved and bought the bike. Even after trying to stay within budget, he now found himself more than $1,000 into the red. That amount had increased once they had purchased their gear.

James was still trying to figure out why he bought a bike for her in the first place. He had paid for all the tests she needed to get her endorsement out of his own pocket. _'So, why?'_ Her drivers license he had written off as a program expense. As a host, it was his job to help her learn skills that would help her transition into society. And having a license would help do that. This was a financial decision that was probably going to come back to bite him later. He could have written it off as a personal gift to her, but that had been an awfully expense gift. He could have purchased a Rolex instead. For a second time, he had to ask himself _'why?'_

Despite it all, James began to realize that as time went on, he was becoming more and more attracted to her. This had been a slow burning process. It started with him getting used to having her around. She was just so thoughtful and diligent, despite having a full schedule of her own. Some mornings he'd wake up, and she'd be making breakfast. He'd come home from a long shift, and she'd be cleaning. If he found something to gripe about at work; she'd listen to him. It went from there, to him admiring her athletic prowess, and her beauty. Her long, dark hair that looked good no matter how she styled it. Her big onyx eyes that looked so warm and kind. Her curvaceous hips and thighs. Her long toned and shapely legs. And her perfectly round ass. Before he knew it, he was pleasuring himself at night while thinking about having her massive tatas shoved in his face. But those feelings were wrong! And he knew it. He felt so ashamed. And yet here he was, letting his dick make financial decisions for himself. In an attempt to show off. In an attempt to appear masculine and macho. He was a god-damned idiot.

The ogress of his dreams was happy, but he was willing to bet not for the same reasons that he was. In the end, he had just wanted to be close to her. But then, he had to force himself to tear down all those fantasies in his mind. He was supposed to be her host, and nothing more. As long as his thoughts remained fantasy, and didn't become an obsession, he figured all would be fine. If she had felt the same way about him, then she never showed it. Even during nights with a full moon, where a liminals libido reached its peak, Nadezhda remained largely placid. He figured she just wasn't all that interested in him. And he was thankful for that, if it were true. At 5'10, James was considered of average height for a man. There was nothing he could have done against a horny 7'5 ogress wanting to have her way with him. The two of them had established a friendly relationship that he was comfortable with, and he didn't want to ruin that. So he buried his feelings of desire. He was going to take this huge financial 'L', and hoped that if by some chance she felt the same way towards him, that she'd do the same.

* * *

 **\- Part 3 -**

 **The year after that…**

 **And a life altering choice…**

The whine of a four-stroke motor filled the air, as a sport bike weaved in and out of morning traffic down business I-70 towards Denver. Perhaps not an unusual sight for some, if not for the obvious large size of the very tall rider. Even though her bike wasn't all that powerful, Nadezhda still loved to pound the pavement, pushing her Kawasaki to its limits. Her host was headed in another direction that morning, down Highway 30. James still got out and rode sometimes, but not as often after starting a new job a few weeks ago.

His parent company had signed a big contract with the USAF. The state was in the process of updating the ground vehicles for all their bases. And had hired civilian workers to aid with the logistics. James had been assigned to the Buckley Air Force Base. While he didn't have to answer to any of the officers, and held no rank, he was still mindful of his presence. He had always respected airmen, and secretly wanted to be a pilot. Growing up in Utah, getting to see all types of military planes was commonplace. He had even gotten used to hearing the sounds of fighter jets as their engines screamed overhead at all hours of the day. When he had gone to college, a recruiter had approached him, but James turned him down. He did not want to enlist, and ROTC didn't seem to be an attractive option either. But that had been years ago. He was now 25 years old, and was convinced a career in the air force was just a pipe dream. Even this contractors position wasn't going to last long.

However; something unexpected happened. One of the officers in the logistics department was a young lieutenant around his age. They struck up a friendship, and conversed with each other during their breaks or after work.

"In order to be a pilot in the air force, you have to become an officer," explained the lieutenant, as the two of them were getting a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria one afternoon.

"How can I do that?" James asked.

"Do I enlist? Surely that would take an awfully long time. I really don't know much about ranks in the air force."

The young officer took a sip of his water, washing down the last little bit of his sandwich. He tried to give this air force hopeful some honest advice.

"Enlistees are basically skilled technicians. You'd be wasting your time with that. You've got a college degree already, so you're heading in the right direction. What you need to do is enroll in officers training school. You'll have to work your butt off, though. But you're a smart guy and you look to be in decent shape. If you have the ambition, you just got to want it."

"I never expected this to be easy," James replied with a sigh.

"Maybe I should have gone through ROTC when I was in school. Being a pilot is something that I've always wanted to do. And I don't have my heart set on any particular plane either. I've thought about getting a license and flying commercial, but that's expensive and the track takes years from what I've heard. Air force is more direct…"

"And there's a shortage of pilots right now too," interrupted the lieutenant.

"If you can prove your competency and skill to the commanders, they'll put you in a cockpit. Regardless of competition."

"…Right, and the benefits are probably phenomenal too," James finished.

The pair ate in silence for a bit, before the logician perked up with a rather important question, "Can I do OTS here at Buckley? That would be extremely convenient."

The lieutenant shook his head, "The only place that I know that offers the OTS program is down at Maxwell in Alabama."

James looked stunned. Alabama? That was halfway across the country! Even if he wanted to go, what about his job? What about Nadezhda and the HP? Would the ADCE even allow him to go without breeching his contract? He had to talk to Agent Carlisle. But first he had to let Nadezhda know. This decision was going to affect her too, and he wanted her opinion. He quickly finished his food, and the two men went back to work.

* * *

By the end of the week, James found himself sitting in his coordinator's office. He had just finished capping off a 60-hour work week. Needless to say, he was mentally exhausted. However; he sat strong and rigid, as the middle-aged woman across from him gave him a puzzled look.

"You want to join the air force?" she asked.

He nodded, and regaled her with the tale of how he came to such a decision. One of his buddies at work convinced him to do this, huh? Agent Carlisle let out a sigh. She knew that her client liked planes. It had come up in casual conversation a couple of times. He had even stated his joy once he had started working over at the air base. But she didn't actually believe that he would make the decision to try and join. And as an officer no less.

"I know it's a sudden decision, but I've made up my mind," he said.

"Deep down inside, it's always been a dream of mine to be a pilot. I'm 25 years old, and the clocks ticking. I thought this door would have closed years ago, since most people that join the air force do so either straight out of high school or college. Even if I don't make the cut as a pilot, I still have my logistics degree. I could lead a division and work my way up the ranks. It would set me up for a good career, and I'll be making good money."

James leaned back in his chair, as she did the same. His situation wasn't completely unheard of in the ADCE. But it was rare. This was the first time Agent Carlisle had dealt with something like this. No one else in her department had either, so it was completely new territory.

"It's only a hassle for us when a homestay joins the military. Usually we're forced to end the contract as soon as they ship out to basic. Assuming that they enlist. Normally, it would be the same thing for a host. But you're not enlisting. You're planning on completing OTS."

He had laid down a number of documents on her desk when he had first arrived. He had met with a recruiter earlier on that week, and he had laid out exactly what he needed to do in order to be accepted into OTS. And the requirements were extensive. He had to take and pass a qualifications test. Then, he had to have a both a physical and a mental screening at a processing station. Last, he had to have his application approved by a selection board. However; the fact that he was a host was likely going to he his biggest hurdle.

"Have you spoken to Nadia about any of this?" she asked.

James shook his head, "I haven't. And I don't plan on telling her until I get accepted. There's no point in making her worry over nothing."

The agent raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "This isn't exactly a small deal, James. I can't even give you an answer on how all of this is going to affect your status as a host. It's going to take a few weeks to process the paperwork. There's a chance that we may have to terminate your contract. You should tell her."

He sighed. She was right. Later on that evening, he sat the ogress down and told her everything. Needless to say, Nadezhda had been shocked. And a little bit hurt. James could see the disappointment in her face when he explained that he might be going away for a while, and the fear in her eyes when he mentioned that their contract might he terminated. Though he was quick to reassure her that she would not be deported, and that she would still be allowed to finish her education. Despite it all, she was still supportive. This was his dream. With an encouraging smile, she wished him all the luck in the world.

* * *

By the end of the next month, James completed all the prerequisites needed for his OTS training. He was just waiting on his approval letter from the selection board. His company finished their job at the base, and he was planning on working right up until he was shipped out. Then he'd hand in his notice. It was a fun company to work for. His boss had been fair, and his coworkers had been professional. They all understood his decision to move on, and respected it.

It was Saturday, and he had the day off. He and his homestay were going to the movies later; just the two of them. He was still physically attracted to her in ways which made him ashamed to still be her host, but he had blocked a lot of that out the last few weeks. If his contract was to be terminated, then he just wanted to enjoy the time they had left as roommates. He walked outside and grabbed a stack of letters from the mailbox.

He began looking through them as he reentered the house. He threw the junk mail into one pile, and anything that looked important into another. He stopped once he got to the last one. It was stamped with the seal of the ADCE. He gasped. His breath was suddenly lodged in his throat. This was the letter he had _really_ been anticipating…

"Nadia, I've got something important here you might want to read…"

A few seconds later the girl poked her head through the doorway of her bedroom. She walked towards him, as he held up the letter for her to see.

"Is that what I think it is, James?"

There was a mixture of uncertainly and anxiety on her face, as he began carefully opening the envelope. This was it. The fate of his contract, and status as a host, rested on this piece of paper. He removed the letter and began scanning it quickly out loud:

"Dear Mr. Carter, we would like to inform you…. Yada yada yada… buncha legal jargon… that we've approved your status…more pointless minutiae…upon acceptance as an officer candidate into the United States Air Force, your contracted will NOT be liable for termination…"

"Not…?"

He looked up, and found her skimming the page behind him. "That's what it says. I guess, we're in the clear."

"We're in the clear?"

His eyes went wide, mentally digesting what he had just said. He went back and read the letter a second time just to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Sure enough, the ADCE had approved everything. He grinned from ear to ear. Suddenly he found himself being lifted off the ground, as the ogress pressed his face against hers in a giant hug. She looked to be just as ecstatic as he was. She didn't want him to leave any more than he wanted to see her go. James was a good host. He was a fun host. And more importantly, he was her friend. Nadezhda breathed a sigh of relief.

A few days later, he received a letter from the USAF. He had been approved for officers training school, and was given a ship out date. He received a call from his coordinator around the same time. Agent Carlisle explained that a MON homestay program service agent (HPSA) would be acting as a placeholder until he returned from his training. What made America unique when it came to the laws surrounding extra-species was that humans had the right to defend themselves from liminal attacks. And vice versa. The role of MON was a bit different than in other countries. There was no special task force; for starters. Instead, MON operated under the wing of the ADCE, offering medical care, supplementary aid, psychiatry, and specialty job services to liminals that needed it. MON employed everything from doctors, lawyers, and therapists, to contractors, biologists, and teachers, straight down to nannies, housecleaners, and bus drivers. It was designed to make the lives of liminals a little bit easier. Humans had all sorts of specialty programs available to them. It was only right that the extra-species had some too. And MON of America was in charge of all of that.

HPSA's assumed temporary command of the household whenever the host was unavailable to fulfill their duties. That included everything from approved leaves, like in James' case, to hospitalizations, jail sentences, complete disappearances, and sudden deaths. The day before James had left Aurora, he had received a knock on his door. He opened it up to reveal a woman dressed in a suit with the MON logo on it. She was short in size, and had long blond hair.

"Greetings! My name's Kathy," she said, as she held out her hand.

James introduced himself, and welcomed her inside. Nadezhda, who was behind him, shook her hand next. It was odd; she looked human enough. And her skin was soft and smooth. And yet… she wasn't human. He had noticed it as soon as he spotted the ball joints in her hand and fingers. His charge had too. Kathy was a living doll. That took him by surprise. And by the looks of it, so had the ogress.

Nevertheless, he signed all his paperwork, temporarily giving her guardianship over his homestay while he was away. He went to his room to finish packing, while the two women became acquainted with each other.

* * *

James had opted to ride the near 1,400 miles to Montgomery, AL on his bike. He purchased a few saddlebags, turning his Honda into a sport tourer. Packed and ready to go, he hit the road after saying his goodbyes. Traveling east down I-70, he stayed overnight in Kansas City. He had joined a USAF Facebook club a few weeks ago, and had a chance to interact with a few of his soon-to-be classmates. He didn't have a clue what to expect, so he left with $1,000 in his pocket, and all the recommended gear. His bike was loaded to the frame. And while it was quick enough to dart around trucks and slower cars, he wasn't exactly hauling ass in it. His tank only held about three and half gallons, but he was getting around 67 miles to that gallon. So he couldn't complain.

Due to bad weather being predicted in southern Missouri, and through parts of Arkansas and west Tennessee, he decided to go through St. Louis. From there, he rode through Illinois and into Kentucky. The ride had provided some spectacular scenery. He had never seen this part of the country before. The countryside looked breathtakingly beautiful. He stayed overnight in Paduka, choosing cheap motels instead of higher end ones to save on travel money. After driving by the Land Between the Lakes, he decided that would be his next vacation spot. Once he retired, maybe he'd buy a houseboat and just live there for the rest of his life.

Aside from some horrific traffic in Nashville, due to a truck hitting the underside of a bridge, the rest of the journey down I-65 south had been pleasant. Everything had been smooth sailing past Huntsville, save for the pop-up shower that he hit right before Birmingham. He made it to Montgomery that evening with some time to spare. He had filled up about twenty times, but with food included, it turned out to be less expensive than flying. And he wouldn't have to rent a vehicle. After arriving at Maxwell AFB, he and the rest of the officer trainees were immediately greeted by the instructors. Many of them high ranking officers themselves. This was the start of the most grueling nine and half weeks of his life.

Meanwhile, back in Colorado, Nadezhda was halfway through her winter semester as a second year. It was around this time that she discovered that becoming an architect wasn't going to be as easy as she thought. She had taken summer and winter classes in an effort to cut down on the time it was going to take for her to graduate, but in the long run, she imagined it would still take the full five years. After she graduated, she had to have three to four years of work experience before taking the state licensing exam. Many of her classmates were considering getting a master's degree to speed up the process. The reality was that architects didn't make the kind of money that justified the time and effort that it took to become licensed. There had been a number of times where she had considered switching majors, but then James had gone and done something crazy. The moment that he left for Alabama, was the moment that she had decided to steel herself, and see this path she had taken to the end. She really liked her department, and her classmates were all super cool. She often stayed late and worked on projects. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity on the side, and had already gone on a service trip.

On her own time, she really liked to draw. And not just buildings, but scenery too. She really didn't like computer modeling software, and preferred to sketch everything. She could do it faster that way. Having to sit and consult manuals, trying to learn all she could about CAD and Revit was a pain in the ass. And yet she refused to falter. She pushed forward with conviction. She might not have been the best, or the brightest among her peers, but damn it all if she wasn't determined to succeed.

On the other side of the country, James was having similar thoughts. Officer training was hard. _Really_ hard. College was a breeze compared to all the shit he was enduring. Waking up at 4:30 in the morning. Usually by force. Constantly moving. Exercising. Running drills. Marching. And all before breakfast. Life at Maxwell was slowly beginning to beat the military culture into him. He was only able to afford a third of his gear with the money he brought. Everything else he had placed on a government issued credit card. By the merciful grace of God, it was interest free. He planned to pay it back immediately. Among the few things the USAF had given him that turned out to be extremely useful had been his camel pack. Of which he filled with Gatorade; because fuck water. He needed those electrolytes.

While he had always kept himself in good shape, and was somewhat prepared for the rigors of physical conditioning, passing the fitness assessment proved to be a challenge. His muscles ached and burned every day. He imagined himself becoming some bronzed Adonis by the time he graduated. Except without the long hair, as that was against regulation. And without the tan, because he was required to wear a shirt. And reflectors. Soon, it was late fall. There was snow on the ground in Aurora. But not in the south. The weather would be hot one day, and then cold the next. There was no consistency! It would rain for seemingly no reason. And the humidity, even at this time of year, was atrocious. He couldn't imagine living here in the summer. He was already rethinking his Cumberland River retirement plans. Back home, the air was crisp and clean. And even though it did get hot, there was no humidity. And his nose was stuffy all the time. The ragweed here was killing him.

He cleared the first couple of cuts, and by the second month, things became a little bit easier. One of the main purposes of OTS was to recreate a stressful work environment for the OT's. They were going to be the ones leading squads of enlistees in the future. James adjusted himself to the daily schedule. His body learned to function on four hours of sleep. He plowed through his studies. Conditioned his body for all the training. He felt like Saitama! He could do those 100 pushups, sit ups, and squats no sweat. Six-mile run? Make it ten-mile run! Crossing obstacles? No problem. Having to listen to the instructors constantly abbreviate everything? That was annoying.

OTS was broken down into four phases. The first phase taught him teamwork and leadership skills. Many of those he had acquired during the time he had spent as a host. He learned how to wear a uniform, and how to march in formation. By phase two, he was being taught military history, squadron management, combat skills, and how to shoot a weapon. He was placed in a team and had been given problems to solve and projects to complete. By the third phase, he was putting his leadership skills to work by training new OT's. By the last phase, he was commanding his team with skill and efficiency, while demonstrating the ability to follow orders and directions. Deep down, he found that he really enjoyed this.

Before making the decision to join the air force, his life didn't have any meaning. There was no purpose to anything he was doing. Even his old job. He liked it, but it wasn't going to take him anywhere. Another reason why he chose to do this, was to try and look macho in front of Nadezhda. As a man, he didn't really have anything to offer her. He was stagnant. That girl had ambition that put his to shame. It had completely shredded his self-confidence watching her give 110% towards accomplishing her goal, while he just goofed around all the time. That girl had been his motivation. His muse. To actually get up off his lazy ass and do something with his life. It didn't matter if she never returned his feelings. It didn't matter if their relationship never went beyond the friendship level. At least now he could hold his head high and have some respect for himself.

The remaining weeks passed by like a blur, and soon James found himself standing with the rest of his classmates that had completed the course. They marched in formation, as the colonel on base swore the new officers in. He was now 2nd Lieutenant James Carter. He liked the sound of that. His parents were in attendance. It surprised him when his dad had been the one that cried. His old man had never shed tears in front of him. Ever. And that suddenly made him feel really shitty. Was his father never truly proud of him up until that moment? Fucking hell…Nevertheless, James was glad that it was over.

He had been diligent about making sure he was assigned to Buckley. And he had gotten his wish. It was not far from his home. That way it wouldn't affect his duties as a host. He and Nadezhda had spoken briefly a few times over the phone. He rarely had any time for himself, and she was studying for exams. Kathy wasn't a bad substitute host. But from what he had heard, she was a new agent. Stubborn. And very by-the-book. If a rule wasn't written down, then it didn't fly with her. And that had been frustrating. The ogress hadn't realized how much James let her get away with. She missed him. And to him, that was a great feeling. He missed her too. Among other things. He missed his house. He missed his truck. He missed the mountain air. He even missed the six-foot snowdrifts piled up and down the sidewalks, made by the plow trucks as they drove through the city. The first thing that he did when he walked inside his home, was to aimlessly make his way over to the couch. He plopped down on top of it, and took a nice long nap.

He was awoken a few hours later by the sound of the door opening. All of his gear was still cluttering the living room. He let out a groan, and hoisted himself into a standing position. There was a shriek, and seconds later he felt his head being engulfed by the massive cleavage of a very happy ogress. He would have enjoyed that feeling more, if she wasn't suffocating him beneath her iron grip. It wasn't until after his face had turned an unhealthy shade of blue that she had finally let him go. Following a nice dinner between the three of them, the living doll signed the guardianship back over to him. After some final farewells, the MON agent took her leave, and James began to unpack his bags. He and Nadezhda talked for the rest of evening. They shared stories. Laughed at each other's experiences, and had a good time.

Life seemed to return to normal. Or as normal as it could have been. James was starting his new assignment as a lieutenant at the same base, where just a few months prior, he had been working as a civilian. That felt a little surreal. But it was on that first morning as an USAF officer that something in particular happened. He had left his door open while he was changing. Nadezhda had been up even earlier finishing an assignment. She gazed in and peeked on him. While she had seen him shirtless before, she had never really been all that impressed by his body. He used to be thin, and rather scrawny. But now his muscles appeared to have muscles. Dear sweet lord! The definition and tone of his back, arms, stomach, and chest was astonishing. She immediately went pink in the face. He looked good. Damn good.

His voice snapped her out of her pervy little trance. He walked out his room dressed in his combat uniform. She had never seen him in it before. He looked impressive; to say the least.

"You ready, Nadia?"

Green orbs met onyx ones, as his eyes pierced hers. And then something strange happened. She felt her heart start to beat rapidly. She began to shrivel under the force of his gaze. This had never happened before. She had always respected him, and treated him like an equal. But this man was five years her senior. She was seeing him in a completely different light right now. Her knees felt weak. Her body began to quiver slightly. What on Earth had happened to him those nine weeks in Alabama? It's like he left a boy, and came back a man! Her voice became stuck in her throat. It was as if she couldn't breathe.

"Y-yes!"

She managed to choke out a response. The only other person that she knew that could make her wither under their gaze like that, was her father. Nadezhda had to mentally slap herself, as she watched him grab his gear and make his way out to the truck. She bit her lip. Her eyes widened with shock, as her mind tried to process all these new feelings. She tried to think about something else, but the only thing that came to mind was the thought of his rock-hard body. And his powerful arms embracing her, as he slid his hands from her breasts, down her stomach, straight into her…No! This couldn't be happening! She grasped her head in disbelief.

She was feeling sexually attracted to her host!

That had been an awkward truck ride for her. He had been as cool as a cucumber; completely oblivious. But she was noticing something new about him every single time she looked at him. For two years they had been friends, and now all of that was becoming warped. She couldn't be attracted to him! I mean, it was against the law for them to do anything, anyways. But still. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe… just maybe…

…Did he…?

Feel the same way about her…?

* * *

 _ **\- Part 4 -**_

 **2 years later…**

 **And a sudden deployment…**

The next two years passed without issue. Nadezhda's growing attraction went mostly unbeknownst to him. He had spent the last few years burying his own attraction to her. James really wanted to curse the HP, and say 'screw everything about the laws.' He understood why those rules and regulations were put into place, but at times they were a detriment to all who were involved. If the government placed a young man and woman together in the same house by themselves for an extended period of time, what did they think was going to happen? Though, the consequences for breaking the laws were enough to deter most would-be criminals. And as a result, the government regulated the hell out of the program. But there was nothing that they could do to regulate a persons' heart.

James felt an empty pit in his stomach forming every time he looked at her. Sure, he could have just broken their contract if he wanted. Human and liminal relationships weren't illegal. Just within the confines of the HP. But if Nadezhda broke her contract, she'd lose her scholarship too. She couldn't afford to pay for her classes without taking out loans. And those had high interest rates. Enough to place her into debt for years to come. He wasn't going to convince her to do that to herself, all for the sake of a relationship between them that might not even work. The government was giving her a free ride. She be a fool to pass up an opportunity like that. And he'd be a fool for breaking his contract and potentially losing her. At least as host and homestay, they were together for the time being. After she graduated, he was going to confess everything and tell her exactly how he felt. Once that degree was in her hands, they could break the contract, and let fate take over. But until that moment, he had to bury his feelings.

Nadezhda had come to the same conclusion. She was even having sex dreams about him now! She made it a point to sleep over with her friends every time there was a full moon, just for fear of her libido going out of control around him. He hadn't noticed. James was often so busy at the base, that they rarely saw each other for longer than a couple hours out of the day. But because of these newfound feelings, she became more self-conscious about her own looks. She wasn't by any means fat, but she had curves. Even though her breasts were considered large by human standards, they were considered average by ogre standards. Most of her fat went straight to her waist, butt, and thighs. Compared to his glorious man body, she felt like a beached whale. So she started going to the gym. And for a girl as tall as she was, that made finding clothes that fit extremely difficult. She had been conservatively, not really caring if she showed any skin or not. But now she wanted to dress more femininely, and show off her figure. At least around him. And that he had noticed. And it hadn't made things any easier for him.

After passing his flight aptitude test and physical examination, he was given initial flight training. IFT was a six-week training course located in Pueblo, CO. A short, 90-minute drive south for him. He had never flown a plane before, but from what he understood about them, he wasn't expecting the training to be hard. It wasn't. At least not the flying part. Piloting the Diamond DA-20 was a lot like driving a car. In fact, it was about as difficult as learning how to ride his Honda. What had been difficult were the tests. He had heard Nadezhda complain to him in the past about her winter classes, where the course tried to pack several months' worth of information into just a few weeks. Same thing happened here. And that had been rough. After passing IFT, he returned to Aurora. He had to wait to be assigned to a base to undergo his specialty undergraduate pilots training or SUPT. The program was going to last an entire year. Unfortunately, every time that he left, another HPSA agent had to be called in to substitute. A month or two was one thing, but a whole year?! Agent Carlisle liked James, but she found that she couldn't cover for him anymore. Her superiors were breathing down her back over his contract as it was. HPSA's were only supposed to be transitional. They weren't supposed to replace a host over a long-term period. MON's Metro Denver branch only employed a small number of them. And having one on assignment for a year was going to cost them in resources and manpower.

Agent Carlisle was sitting at her desk one evening, with a mountain of paperwork in front of her. However, the piece of paper that would allow James to continue being Nadezhda's host, even if he went on leave for a year, was the most important thing in front of her. She had been partnered with him for a long time. Up until recently, the boy always seemed to be drifting through life with no ambition. She had been just as puzzled by his decision to join the air force as anyone else. All of his friends had been deadbeats, who spent most of their free time goofing off. So she had been trying to find the source of his motivation. It wasn't his parents. And he didn't date, despite having ample opportunities to do so. There was only one other person in his life that could have had that kind of impact on him. The coordinator had known about his little crush on the ogress for some time now. She just hadn't realized how deep that fixation actually went.

From the progress reports she had been receiving from him, his charge had been doing stellar in school. Nadezhda was an honor student, and was involved in multiple clubs and after school activities. She didn't play sports, likely because she could flatten someone on accident. And from what the girl had told her, she had been motivated to try even harder in school thanks to James' decision to join the military. Really? That made no sense. From the coordinators' perspective, the ogress had likely been the source of her clients motivation from the start. They were pushing each other. Challenging each other. James had come back from OTS in great shape, and from what the agent had observed, Nadezhda had started hitting the gym too. And for what reason? She wasn't dating anyone. And James might have missed the significance of the ogress staying out on nights of the full moon, but she hadn't. It was clear to the older woman that the homestay had developed feelings for her host.

Agent Carlisle sighed. What a mess. She had been young once. She knew what it was like to be in love, and to be fixated on someone. The rules and regulations of the HP restricted intimacy to the point where dates were impractical. If she didn't come up with a reason why these two should stay together, her clients contract would be dissolved. The girl would be moved to another host family. It would free them both up to date each other at their leisure, but both of them were so busy at this point in their lives. Nadezhda was a junior this year, and James was fixing to be shipped out to SUPT. Splitting them up could have negative impacts on their motivation and drives. They were good for each other. They'd probably made a really nice couple too. All things considered.

She reached down into her drawer and pulled out a small silver flask. It was filled with her favorite whiskey. She only took it out when she had a particularly bothersome case that she was working on. She usually wound up doing something dumb, and then catching hell over it with her supervisor latter. And she was going to catch major heat over what she was about to do here. James deserved better. She felt bad that she didn't help sort this all out a year ago. But everything had been fine then. Pointing the finger wasn't going to do any good. It's as if those two had been fated to meet, and fall in love with each other. And damn it all if she was going to watch either one of their promising futures go up in smoke, just so the government could save some money. She poured the whiskey into her coffee, and began to craft fill out the paperwork. Someone in the Rocky Mountain regional office owed her a favor, and this would allow her to go over her supervisors heads.

When all this exploded, and it WAS going to explode, she was going to be the one to take the fall. She'd make sure of that. Once done, she stamped the form. Agent Carlisle leaned back in her chair reminiscing about her past. Her husband had been like James once. He was not motivated to do anything, and had no cares in the world. Until the day she had thrust that positive pregnancy test into his hands. Oh, he had gotten his act together really quick after that. She had been a coordinator for the HP for nine years. And she loved her job. But part of that meant doing what was right and fair for her clients. To give them the best chance possible. If the ADCE didn't want to cut a member of its country's own military any slack, then maybe she had reached the end of her journey here.

James would go to SUPT. And he would still be Nadezhda's host when he returned. A HPSA would act as a substitute, just like before. It would all work itself out. And it did; save for one change.

Once her superiors had gotten wind of she had done, Agent Janice Carlisle - Wife. Mother of three. ADCE employee for over a decade – was forced to resign from her position.

* * *

James had been assigned to Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, TX. He loaded up his CBR250 and rode down. It was a fourteen-hour drive south. The base was very close to the Mexican border. Here, he'd be spending the next year of his life, alongside graduates from the Air Force University, ROTC, and fellow OTS alumni. The ADCE had contracted three different HPSA's to substitute host his contract for him while he was away. Before he left, he signed over his guardianship to a human man that was a few years older than he was. Nadezhda knew the drill at this point. However, he was going to be gone much longer this time, and their contact was going to be limited. In an uncharacteristically bold move on her part, when she hugged him farewell, she purposely pressed his face into her breasts for good measure. Normally, that had only happened on rare occasions by accident when she had been really excited to see him. This time he had gotten a good show. It left him a bit shocked, actually.

When he returned, she'd be a senior. So she vowed to keep working hard on her design courses and projects. As the months passed by, James started out flying the T-6 Texan. Then he graduated to the T-38 Talon for his advanced training. Every time he cleared a stage, he just went on to the next one. Flying was every bit as enjoyable as he thought it would be. For someone that had climbed the faces of cliffs, repelled down into caves, bungee jumped into canyons, scuba-dived in the ocean, skied some of the state's tallest mountains, and braved some of the mightiest rapids, this was the ultimate high. It's as if God himself had parted the heavens and touched him. He was taught how to fly in formation, how mark off a checklist, and how read his craft on an intimate level. There was quite a bit of classroom academia too, but he found learning about aircraft systems and flying procedures to be fun. He opted for the fighter trek. He wasn't too picky about which craft he'd be assigned to, but he was hoping to be assigned the F-16C, because Buckley had a squadron stationed there. These fighters were known as Fighting Falcons, but most pilots called them Vipers for their speed and maneuverability.

Back in Colorado, Nadezhda was starting her internship at a local architectural firm. She was in charge of sorting blueprints. She preferred commercial building to residential. Though she wasn't sure if she wanted to work for a firm that partnered with a general contractor (GC), or a Design-Build firm where the architect and the contractor were part of the same company. Sometimes the same person. James had often spoke about the air force hierarchy, and the focus being based on teamwork. Well, working in an office was the same way. You had the lead architect up front. He worked with the owner of the project, and the lead superintendent of the GC. The GC controlled all the subcontractors out in the field. Inside the office, the project manager called the shots. Once she graduated college, she'd likely be working as a draftsman under the architect. Drawing up blueprints took a lot of time, and it took a lot of effort. The key was that you had to be fast. Although, the one thing that architects wanted was tidiness. Particularly on the layouts. Even though she used templates when printing out drawings, each sheet had to labeled and numbered a certain way. And the sheet with the details on the it, had to be noted with as much information as possible. And did she mention scaling? That was a rookie draftsman's number one enemy. That's why she preferred to draw everything by hand using a scale, rather than fiddling with the computer, and the hassle of printing everything out. But it was part of the job.

By the end of the year, James was finishing up his SUPT courses. The only part of it he really didn't enjoy was his Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training. This three-week course taught him how to survive behind enemy lines, should his plane ever be shot down. And how to survive as a POW, should he ever be captured by enemy soldiers. Soon there afterwards, he was presented with the USAF's silver wings badge. The true mark of a pilot. On top of this, he pledged to sign a ten-year long contract with the air force. His education and training had been expensive, and the government wanted to get their money's worth out of him. After the ceremony, he returned to Colorado. It was autumn, and Nadezhda was still working hard on her projects. When he returned home, he had gone out to eat with his family, and she had been invited to tag along. His aunt and uncle were in town as well. James had been an only child, just like her. And like her family, his was a pretty close-knit bunch. They were good people who made her feel warm and special.

The next morning he was awoken by a knock on his door. He had the weekend off, and wasn't going to report back to base until Monday. He threw on a shirt. Nadezhda was still asleep in her room. He opened it to reveal a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit.

"Mr. Carter, I presume?" he asked.

"That's correct," the younger man responded.

James glared at the man, a little peeved that the ADCE would be sending an agent to his house on a Saturday.

"I'm Agent Taylor. I'll be your new coordinator from here on out."

James watched as the man pushed passed him, and entered the house. He had learned what Agent Carlisle had done for him from Nadezhda. He had been stunned. She'd didn't have to do that. She put her job on the line for the sake of his convenience, just so that he could keep his contact a little bit longer. Nadia still had another year of school left, and at this rate, James seriously doubted he'd be her host much longer. He wasn't about to let that go to waste. He silently thanked his old coordinator.

The older man looked around and shook his head. The house was a mess. On top of heaps of clutter, piles of both their clothing were thrown everywhere. A stack of her underwear and bras were tossed lazily into the laundry room. The coordinator turned to face the military officer.

"Mr. Carter, I've read your case file. I understand that as a member of the air force, you must lead an incredibly busy lifestyle. However, because you're such a distinguished individual, having been a host for a long time now, I feel that I must hold you to a higher standard of excellence."

"This…" he remarked, while motioning to the mess in the living room.

"…Is unacceptable. ADCE issued properties must be maintained, and all homes must be kept neat and orderly. I'm afraid I'm going to have to write you up for this."

James groaned, as Agent Taylor began filling out a complaint form. If he amassed too many of those, he'd face a heavy fine. He heard a noise, turning to see his charge standing in the doorway. She was wearing a massive billowy tee-shirt that stretched down to her waist.

"What's going on, James?" she asked.

She wasn't wearing pants. Her panties were a yawn and stretch away from being free to the world. The coordinator eyed her up and down. He ripped the infraction from his pad and handed it to the young lieutenant. He started filling out another one. James started at him in frustration.

"What's this one for?"

He pointed his pen at the ogress in front of him, "That's not appropriate dress attire for a homestay, Mr. Carter. I shouldn't have to remind you that you're supposed to be a professional. And that she's your ward, and not your girlfriend."

Nadezhda went red in the face, while the younger man fought the urge to throw the man out of his home. What a fucking prick. Agent Taylor tore the sheet from his pad, and handed it to the younger man. James took it, balled it up, and threw it into the trash as soon as the coordinator left.

* * *

A few months later, following the end of the term, James and Nadezhda celebrated the holidays together. Despite the ogress being old enough to drink in the US, she and her host had never gone out drinking before. That changed on New Years' Eve. James knew a good spot. A nice little tavern in downtown Denver, where they could watch the fireworks, and gaze at all the pedestrians as they drank the night away.

The bartender delivered another pitcher of beer and two more rounds of vodka. James held up his shot glass, as Nadezhda did the same. Her hands could have been considered dainty, if not for their size. They clinked their glasses together and slammed back the booze. So far, they had consumed two shots a piece, on top of a pitcher. And she had drank a Tequila Sunrise earlier. Just to see what it tasted like. He was nearing his limit, but she was still feeling pretty good. With her big body, he wondered absentmindedly on just how much it would take to get her drunk. If her appetite was anything to go by, he likely couldn't even begin to imagine. Her stomach was like a black hole. He had always been grateful that he wasn't the one paying their grocery bill. After the second pitcher of beer disappeared, along with two more shots of vodka, he had his answer.

He had slowed his pace down to a crawl after his fifth glass of beer, but she had just kept right on going. Eventually, her faced turned pink, and he knew she had to be feeling a little giddy. Luckily for him, she began to slow down as well.

"Feeling warm?" he asked.

She flashed him a smile and nodded, "That hit the spot. What with it being so cold outside."

"So, uh. How did you do on that design project you were working on? I saw that model that you built in the living room. The one out of foam board."

He was trying to make small talk. The tavern was pretty noisy with all the people coming in and out. But they had a nice little area of the corner of the bar to themselves. They had a few hours to kill before the fireworks started.

"Got a B," she replied, rather disappointed.

"The professor really graded us hard on that one…"

"Well, at least you passed. That's something to be happy about."

James took another sip of his beer, as the two sat in silence. He looked over at his homestay. She looked bored. He watched as she traced the outside of her glass in a circular motion. Suddenly, he drained the rest of his beer in one gulp. He set the glass down with a loud clink, causing her to gaze in his direction.

"Say, Nadia. You never dated anyone while I was away, did you?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, looking a little hurt at his remark.

"No, but I don't see why that would be any of your concern. You're my host. Not my boyfriend."

He looked downcast as he stared forward, his eyes burning a hole through the back of the bar. She gulped down the rest of her glass, before setting it down with a heavy clunk of her own.

"It's not like you've ever dated anyone either," she remarked.

And there it was. The elephant in the room. James had come to learn that she hadn't dated anyone while he was in Texas just a short time ago. He figured she might be waiting for someone. Most likely him, if he had to guess. He had been thinking about this for the last few weeks. He had been so preoccupied with his SUPT training, and OTS before that, he had missed all the signs. The revealing outfits she wore around the house. All the times she had damn near killed him with her jugs. She had never been that forward their first two years together. He felt like a complete moron.

"I never dated anyone because there's a girl that I've been waiting on," he said, not bothering to look in her direction.

"Oh?" she asked slyly.

"I've known you for four years now, and you weren't with anyone then. That's a long time to wait on a girl."

James laughed, "Well, she's worth the wait."

Nadezhda reached over and poured the rest of the beer from the pitcher into her glass.

"If you like her so much, then why don't you just come out and tell her how you feel?"

He tapped his glass on the counter nonchalantly, "Let's just say that there are issues, legal issues, getting in the way. Even if we started dating, we couldn't be intimate. And I don't see the point."

She took a sip from her glass before replying, "And maybe this girl doesn't care about all of that, if she can be close to you."

James crossed his arms in thought. Gah! He was too drunk for this. His head was beginning to hurt. But still, what she said made sense. Maybe he should just come out and tell her. If she rejected him, then he'd keep buying more and more alcohol. Enough to get them both so drunk that they'd both pass out and forget that this conversation ever happened. A slurping sound caught his attention. He turned to see the ogress chugging the rest of her glass. She let out a content sigh, and placed the glass on the counter away from her. He watched as she laid her arm down on the counter and rested her head on it. Her onyx eyes seemed to penetrate his. She flashed him a playful drunken smile.

"Why don't you just come out and tell me how you really feel, James."

He was stunned! He didn't know what to say. His mind began to race at a thousand miles per hour. If he had been airborne, his brain would have broken the sound barrier.

"You knew, didn't you? That you've been the girl that I've been obsessed over this whole time. When? How?!"

He gripped his forehead and let out an exasperated 'Aah!' That caused her to laugh. She was pretty wasted herself, and had just been teasing him. Then her mind quickly replayed his words again. Slower this time. Her face dropped, as she sat up. She stared at him with shock in her eyes.

"What…?"

James kept right on going, as his feelings began pouring out, "It's always been you Nadia. You're kind, you're sweet, you're smart, you're funny, you know how to put up with me, and you're absolutely drop dead fucking beautiful to boot…"

Nadezhda just sat there, mesmerized. Was this really happening? She had a hunch that James had the hots for her, just based on the fact that he wasn't gay, never dated other women, but yet always reacted positively to her advances. She just wasn't completely sure. She didn't want to make herself vulnerable and then be rejected. Before he went to OTS, he suddenly became a different person. She figured he had to be in love, because she had never seen him with that much drive before. Love could drive a man to do things. Accomplish things. Things that he would have never thought possible before. That was when she started falling for _him._ He continued to speak, with a the subtly of a bus smashing into a line of parked cars.

"You were my inspiration to go to OTS. I watched you work so hard at trying to make your own dreams come true, that I realized I was doing nothing with my life. I was a useless sack of crap, until you gave me the strength to change myself. And I knew that I had to accomplish at least as much as I did to even be a worthy of a woman like yourself. I don't want to be away from you, Nadia! That's why I've fought so hard to keep my contract as your host. Because I love you!"

James suddenly became aware of what he was saying, and to whom he was saying it to. He groaned, and looked over at the pitcher of beer, now wishing it were full. Nadezhda was still trying to process what he had said. She looked down, as his green eyes met hers. Except they weren't looking away. He remained steadfast. This time his pupils were boring into hers. That's when she knew he had been serious about everything he had just said.

She tried to open her mouth to respond, but she couldn't. She had literally been shocked into silence. He chuckled at her expression, but it changed to something softer. Gentler. He sighed.

"I'm not sure if you feel the same way that I do, but it feels good to finally get these feelings off my chest."

"James, I…"

He looked up to see her fiddling with her long black hair, twirling her locks with her finger. She looked to be contemplating his words. Would she reject him? Even if she did, he was a man after all. The pain of having to keep those feelings to himself had been hurting him even worse. At the end of the day, he'd still be her host. And her friend. Suddenly, she reach reached out and gently caressed his chin with her hand, tilting his head up. He watched as she leaned down. She closed her eyes, puckered her lips, and kissed him. It was brief, but it seemed to eradicate all his fears. She pulled her face away from his.

"I waited an entre year for you to tell me that. For real, this time."

It was James turn to be shock, "You mean you also…"

The ogress nodded her head, "Yeah…"

"Since when?"

He watched as her face went pinker than the alcohol had already made it, "Since you came back from Alabama. And, I mean. It just kinda grew from there."

All that time. All those opportunities to date some other guy that wasn't shackled to the HP. And she had chosen to wait for him. He had to laugh at that. Because he was waiting on her at the same time. If breaking the ice was as easy as getting her drunk, then he would have done so a long time ago. The girl of his dreams wanted him. And that made him happy beyond expression.

"And you?" she asked.

James mulled over his memories for a second, "I can't pin down the exact moment, but it was before I bought you that motorcycle. I was thinking with my penis then."

She laughed, "It was sweet. You've done so much for me these fours years. Even while you were gone, that allowed me to come to terms with my own feelings. And I found that I was willing to wait."

He raised an eyebrow, "You were?"

"Yeah."

"So where do go from here?" he said.

"We could always keep our relationship a secret," she replied.

He shook his head, "But we still can't be intimate with other. Are you be okay with that?"

He was right; they couldn't be intimate with each other the way they both wanted to be without the ADCE finding out. Still, she cracked him a smile.

"As long as we're together, then that's the only thing that matters to me."

A few hours later, they found themselves wandering the downtown square in the cold winter night, waiting for the fireworks to start. They were holdings hands. To any passerby, they looked like any other couple, save for the sheer height difference. Once the fireworks started, they shared another kiss. This time it was deeper, and more passionate. It contained more of their feelings and passion for one another. However, they knew they couldn't consummate their relationship. They just had to wait a little bit longer.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, they kept their relationship private. James did take her out of a few dates, but at the home, they acted like a proper host and homestay. Any intimacy they did share, they kept secret. Nadezhda was just starting her spring term. She would be starting her final year in the fall. After she graduated, they wouldn't have to worry about this mess. James had been assigned to the 120th fighter squadron, part of the Colorado National Guard, flying Vipers like he wanted. There he was flying sorties on a regular basis. But he was still gaining experience.

All this changed one evening. James went to the mailbox, and received a letter from his colonel. He was being deployed. The following day, he was given a mobilization alert with a three-month notice. He was placed into a pre-deployment phase, where he was given preparatory training. He had to have all his equipment packed and ready to go. His base didn't even have some of it stocked, so he had to place some special-order requests. That had been a pain. He was briefed on etiquette, and what uniforms to bring. He was also ordered to surrender his restricted area flight badge. Because as an officer and a pilot, he got to have one of those.

However, there was a problem. James really hadn't discussed any of this with Nadezhda. His girlfriend had watched a number of specials on the conflicts going on in the Middle East. Particularly Syria and Iraq, where thousands of humans and liminals had been killed in the process. She was worried to death that he'd be deployed over there and get blown out of the sky. Even though he had told her that the likelihood of that happening was slim, he couldn't offer her a guarantee. It was early March. And he had known about his deployment for over a month now. He came home one evening, to find Agent Taylor already at his house. The middle-aged man was speaking to his homestay, who looked very visibly distraught. She shouted at him as soon as he entered the living room.

"James! Why didn't you tell me that you're being deployed?"

His eyes widened. How did she know? He whipped his head over to the man sitting next to her. Glaring daggers at him.

"Taylor, you knew about this?"

The man remained unperturbed, "Your base informed my department a month ago. I never mentioned anything to you, because my superiors were busy deciding on the fate of your contract. And they feel that you are no longer fit to be a host."

James was shocked! He heard Nadezhda gasp in surprise. She covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes filling with dismay. His coordinator stood and gathered a few documents that he had placed on table. He walked over and handed them to the younger man.

"These are your termination papers, Mr. Carter. Miss Nadezhda should have been removed from your care during your SUPT training. The ADCE poured money and resources into multiple HPSE's to cover for you, and now you're leaving again. This cannot continue. How long is this deployment of yours go to last?"

"One year," he said through gritted teeth.

While James really did not like him, the agent had a point. Now that he was active military, these deployments were going to be a common thing. Back at the table, his girlfriend was so overcome with emotion that she couldn't stop the tears from falling. The distress was overwhelming. She was going to ripped from the home she had lived in for the past four years, and placed in another. With people she didn't know. And her host, whom she had come to love, was being shipped off to an active warzone. It was just too much.

James immediately rushed to her side, as the sound of her sobs filled the living room. He wrapped his arms around the ogress from behind, holding her gently. He kissed her on the cheek, before trying to soothe her with words of comfort. He stood up and shot the agent a death glare. But the older man remained calm. His demeanor was cold and remorseless. However, after an intense stare down, he softened.

"I suppose in the end, you got what you wanted, Mr. Carter. I could infract you for that display of intimacy just now, but it doesn't matter. You're no longer going to be her host."

He turned around and headed for the door, "While you're preparing to take your leave, I'd advise you to look for new accommodations as well. You'll have 30 days to vacate the premises."

"Duly noted," the officer replied, his voice dripping with a mixture of sarcasm and venom.

After the agent left, James sat down and told Nadezhda everything. She was justifiably upset. Why hadn't he just come out and told her he was leaving again? Did he not think she could handle it? She could. She was just extremely worried. And rightfully so. Was that so wrong? He should have had more faith in her. In the end, she slowly started to come to terms with their situation. It was going to be hard; but if this didn't break their faith in each other, nothing could.

30 days came and went. Saying goodbye had been the hardest part. Just as they were starting to become close, fate had to tear them apart once more. James kept her Kawasaki in his name, so that the ADCE couldn't use some legal loophole to take it from her. But it was hers to ride. He was there when government agents came to take back what they had loaned. Nadezhda was already gone. He looked around the now empty house one last time. It was surreal. Four years they had spent together living here. He never intended to lose his contract, but he didn't regret a thing. All the trips they had gone on. All the time they had spent together. All the personal expenses that he had accrued in the process. All the fantasies and dreams that he experienced, while trying to contain his emotions. All of that was done here, in this little house. This had been their base. Their refuge. His Fortress of Solitude. He was going to miss that truck too. It had been a reliable set of wheels for them in the winter, and Nadezhda had liked it a lot.

He was staying in a dormitory on the base. His room wasn't much larger than one found at a college. He didn't like it. It was cramped and stuffy. But the thing that made him most depressed and dejected was knowing that she was no longer there. And very soon he'd be going away as well. Because of the way his contract worked, as her former host, he wasn't allowed to have contact with her for the first month while she adjusted to her new life. For safety and confidentiality reasons. And that sucked. He missed her. He thought he could handle all this, but found that he couldn't. His heart was breaking. And it just wasn't fair. By late April, James found himself boarding a plane overseas. He was packed with all his gear, and had done his best to steel himself for the long journey ahead.

* * *

 _ **\- Part 5 -**_

 **6 months later…**

 **Incirlik Air Force Base, Turkey…**

The loud screech of a General Electric 110 jet engine filled the skies, as the plane equivalent of a McLaren P1 barrels down the runway. It's thruster, capable of delivering up to 27,00 pounds of force, rockets the aircraft into the air and out of sight in seconds. The pilot checks the flight data on his HUD, as he looks out of the panoramic bubble of his cockpit to see the other Vipers in his squadron flying in a finger-four formation. Having the least amount of flight experience, he was stationed in the rear.

James listened as his commander began giving orders. The flight leader was a lieutenant colonel who had been flying for over two decades. The Colorado native was playing the role of support in this mission, as the wingman to the element leader. That meant for this mission he was stuck to the major like a welded pieced of metal. Wherever the major went, he followed. They were currently flying sorties in and out of war torn Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. They were hunting down members of ISIL, whom were still at large in the country. Particularly around the city of Al-Raqqah.

Most of their missions so far had been air to ground, mostly close air support (CAS) strikes against enemy units. Their squadron assisted ground troops as they pushed forward against the Islamic State. James recalled the first time he had dropped a bomb on an active target. It had felt oddly satisfying. Like being a superhero, and taking out the bad guys. He felt like he was actually doing some good in the world.

When he arrived on Incirlik AFB, James was placed with pilots from other squadrons into a larger group. Notably pilots from the 31st fighter wing from Aviano AFB in Italy. They were only 60 miles from the Syrian border. The living quarters were nice, and held all the luxuries he wanted. However; almost immediately there had been conflict. A faction within the Turkish armed forces had attempted a coup d'état the month after he arrived. And even though they had been unsuccessful, Incirlik was locked down the entire time. All military personnel had been confined to the base until regular missions resumed in July.

James missed Nadezhda terribly. He wasn't able to speak to her before she was moved to a different host family. One of the very last things that they promised to each other was that they were going to gut this out no matter what. They would be reunited at her graduation next May; he tried to guarantee her that much. But first he had to focus on his current situation. It had taken some time to adjust, but one of the key factors to being in the military was learning to adapt to change. And that was something that he could do. He liked change. Part of the reason why he was even in an F-16, flying over the deserts of a country nearly 7,000 miles away, was because he had been bored with his previous life, and wanted something different. If it weren't for the fact that he had been separated from the woman that he loved just a few months before, he probably would have admitted to having the time of his life over here.

His combat days were short lived, though. After ten months of flying sorties into Syria, he was grounded after his Viper suffered engine failure. During that time period he was also promoted from 2nd to 1st lieutenant. As a butter bar, a common derogatory name for a newly commissioned lieutenant, he tried to learn from those around him, and not let his rank go to his head. After another two months on deployment, he was ready to return home. He arrived back at Buckley AFB one week earlier than expected, after hitching a ride on a contracted military flight back to the States. It felt like an eternity between the moment he landed, and the moment he reached his little room inside his dorm. He tossed all of his bags and gear to the side, and plopped down on his bed.

He was home. He had made it back in one piece. He took out his phone and checked his calendar. He had one week before his girlfriends graduation. He laughed to himself. He had cut this close! Really close. She probably would have never forgiven him if he missed this.

He went over to his closet to see if he had something to wear.

* * *

Graduation day had finally come. Five years of studying her ass off had brought her to this moment. Nadezhda gazed around the open arena at the sea of people surrounding her. There must have been close to a thousand people packed into the gym. Easily. Looking around, she spotted a few of her classmates seated in the rows in front of her. She and the rest of the students were organized alphabetically by name and by department. While they were all wearing academic robes, many were wearing sashes and stoles to commemorate fraternities and sororities, groups, and clubs. She wore an AIAS pin on the left side of her chest, and had a matching tassel to go with it. She was graduating _cum laude,_ so she was granted the honor of wearing gold colored chords as well.

She had worked really hard to maintain a high GPA. She had to maintain a minimum of a 3.0 just to keep her scholarship. For someone that was gifted the opportunity to study abroad through a lottery system, she couldn't complain. She had basically gotten a free ride from the ADCE. Very few foreign liminals were given this chance, and she wanted to represent the system with honor. When her row was called, Nadezhda stood up with the other students. It was super easy to spot her thanks to her great height. Every year she had to decline offers to join the basketball and volleyball teams. From a financial standpoint, the university couldn't offer her anything that the ADCE wasn't already. And playing sports would have taken time away from things that she really wanted to do. After school clubs. Service trips. Hanging out with her girlfriends. Spending time with James.

She sighed. She had scanned the sea of people again, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but she didn't see him. He promised her he'd be here. Was it possible he wasn't home from Turkey yet? They didn't get to speak all that often, and communicated through social media instead. When she had heard that he was hunting down ISIL in Syria, she had about flipped. Her home country was also involved in that mess. She didn't tell him, but she was relieved when she heard he was grounded. Last time she had spoken to him was a month ago. If he was back in the States, he hadn't told her yet. To say that she missed him would be an understatement. They had spent most of their time flirting with each other online. She couldn't wait to see him. To hold him. To kiss him. And to maybe do a little bit more, because he was no longer her host. And they didn't have to worry about that legal nonsense any more.

The line began to move. Nadezhda waited until it was her turn to walk on stage. The dean was not a particularly small man, but the size difference between them was still rather comical. With her heels boosting her frame just a little bit, she was just shy of standing nose to nose with the tallest man in the country. She gave the crowd a small wave as she glanced at the sheet of paper in her hand. It wasn't her actual degree; she'd get that in the mail in a few weeks. But still. She had done it. She was a college graduate! Her desire was to design buildings for large liminals like herself. To make their lives easier. And for the few humans that reached this height. And as a bachelor she was one step away from achieving her goal. She had to wipe the tears of joy from her eyes as she made her way back to her seat.

The valedictorian had given a wonderful speech. He was a liminal like herself. A lizardman. He spoke about unity in diversity, and the future of mankind and extra-species relationships. Afterwards; the dean gave his speech and ceremony concluded. Nadezhda moved her tassel to the left of her hat along with the rest of the graduates, as the gym erupted in applause and celebration. Many students began embracing their friends and former classmates, as others went to find their families. She began conversing with two of her friends, as the bleachers began to clear. Soon, her friends had excused themselves, leaving her alone by herself. She wandered off towards the back of the gym when she heard someone shouting her name. She turned, and froze. There on the bottom rung of the bleachers, gripping the handrail, stood James. He had a great big grin on his face.

Her eyes lit up like the sun, as he quickly walked down the stairs, and rushed over to give her a hug. He wrapped his arms around her midsection. Her black hair had gotten so long that it now reached all the way down to her butt. Suddenly, the ogress felt herself being lifted off the ground! Just enough to let her toes dangle. He set her down and backed away. He was laughing in delight. His eyes held such glee that he could hardly contain himself. She finally had a chance to get a good look at him. He was wearing a navy-blue suit and tie, with a white shirt, and brown shoes and belt. He had USAF cufflinks. His hair was trimmed short. He had a little bit of stubble on his face. He looked quite handsome.

"You look beautiful Nadia. You're the spitting image of radiancy," he said, suddenly.

She blushed, and waved her arm in a dismissively mocking fashion, "Oh stop! Actually; don't. Please do go on."

He chuckled, "I'm proud of you. I truly am. You worked so hard to get to this point. I fucked around in college. Didn't walk with any of these bells and whistles on. GPA was trash too. Probably the only reason why I even got into OTS was began of my degree. You put me to shame."

"That's not true!" she blurted out.

She stared at him with kind and caring eyes that were filled with wonder of their own, "That's not true."

"You're an amazing man, James. Not many people have accomplished the things that you have. When you were sent overseas, it was just so sudden, and I didn't know how to process it. We had just gotten together, and it felt like we were being ripped apart again. These deployments of yours are going to be a reoccurring thing, aren't they?"

James became somber as he glanced at the floor, "Yeah."

Suddenly, he raised his head and looked at her. He motioned for her to lean down as he stood on his toes. He leaned in and kissed her. It was short, but satisfying. They began to kiss again. This time it was longer; more passionate. He reached up and grabbed the back of her neck, running his hand through her silky-smooth hair. Their lips disengaged, as he took a step back.

"Do you want to get out of here and grab some food?"

Nadezhda smiled down at him, grinning ear from ear. Her whole face lit up, as she nodded her head, "You had me at 'food.'"

Due to James' lack of a vehicle other than his bike, they decided to walk up to one of the restaurants on campus. His old alma mater had changed quite a bit in the five years since he had attended. There were a few new buildings that he did not recognize. And a few new stores. And the center courtyard had been renovated. Once inside, they sat down and ordered. They began chatting, continuing to do so even after their meals had come.

"I was offered a job a few weeks ago," the ogress said, popping a French fry into her mouth.

"Really?" he replied in surprise.

"Are you going to take it?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. It's a local firm here in Denver. They aren't very big, but at least I can get my foot in the door."

"Lousy pay, huh?"

She nodded. He had been there and done that. He was making decent money on the O-2 payroll for a single guy. If he got married and started a family in the future, then his budgets would be too tight for comfort. He had to wait another two years before he was eligible for another promotion.

James took a bite out of his sandwich, chewing it, before responding, "Well, I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. Buckley has been good to me, and my squadron's got a lot of good guys in it. I guess what I'm saying is that Colorado really is a great place to live. When you factor in the cost of living, and that everything that we'll need and want is here."

"You aren't wrong," she answered.

"It's not quite home, but it's pretty close. Crisp mountain air, warm in the summer, lots of snow in the winter. And there's more opportunity here for me."

"How long is your work permit going to last for?"

Nadezhda finished the rest of her fries, and pushed her plate forward, "About a year. Then I'll have to get it renewed. I haven't decided if I'm going to apply for citizenship. I don't know if I'm going to be living here long term or not. It's been a long time since I've seen my family. Now that I don't have to worry about the homestay program, I'll probably try and visit them soon."

He polished off the rest of food and took a sip of his water, "You speak to your parents on Skype all the time, right?"

She nodded, "Mama at least, and sometimes my aunt. Papa's not really computer savvy."

James had spoken to her mother over the computer once before. But he was under the impression that her parents strictly knew him as her host, and nothing more. It made sense to him that she'd want to visit them, considering that she'd been in the US for five years now.

"Say," she exclaimed, as her eyes lit up.

"You should come with me, James!"

He nearly choked on his water, "I mean, I'd love to go with you, but there's so much that'd have to do. Notify my superiors. Apply for a passport. Apply for leave. Can I even go to Russia as a member of the US military? There's rules, and regulations, and stipulations. It's probably going to be a huge hassle…"

"Hey Darling, don't worry about it," she smiled, waving him off.

"I'm sure everything'll work out. I want you to come with me. You're my boyfriend now. I'm sure my parents would love to meet you."

"I guess," he replied with a hint of uncertainty.

"Didn't you say that your father used to be a soldier in the Soviet Army? He's not going to try and throw me out of your house, is he?"

The ogress laughed, "Oh no, of course not! Although, he doesn't really like the US government all that much, so you probably shouldn't try and talk politics with him. But he respects the US citizens, and he respects the US military. You being a pilot might actually impress him."

"Great," he responded, still with a hint of doubt in his voice.

The truth was that he did feel a little better about the situation, and he really did want to meet her parents, and get to talk with them. Especially her father. Maybe they could trade war stories, he laughed to himself.

* * *

The couple moved into a new apartment together soon afterwards. She applied for a work permit, as the ADCE dissolved her contract. Even though the agency had placed him into a tough spot a year ago, James couldn't be mad. He really couldn't. The HP had been the reason why he was able to get through college with practically no debt himself. The only debt he had was on college credit, where he had placed his textbooks and supplies. The ADCE had payed for all of that for her.

It felt good to James to be able to officially say that she was his girlfriend. It was annoying having to constantly correct his friends, family, and random strangers over the years. But now she was his _girlfriend._ Not his homestay. Living together now was simple and easy, as they had already been doing so for years. No big deal. The major problem that they had now was their budget. And their place wasn't perfect. They weren't able to find an affordable apartment that was ogre friendly. The ceilings were a foot lower than the ones in their old house, and the doors frames and openings were built to meet human codes. Which meant that poor Nadezhda had to duck under almost everything. The master bathroom was larger than the half-bath in the hallway, and the nozzle in the shower was set seven inches above her head, but it was still cramped.

Before, James had gotten a check from the government to pay for groceries. Now he was on his own. He felt like he was going to go bankrupt just trying to feed her. It wasn't her fault. Ogres required a lot more nourishment than humans, and his girlfriend had a high metabolism on top of that, often snacking throughout the day. But still, that didn't do much to ease his anxiety. In the back of his mind he could see his future: a house filled with little ogre babies. That became not so little ogre children. And then very big ogre teens. How was he going to feed them all? Much less clothe them. And provide housing big enough for them. Not to mention transportation. It was a nightmare just thinking about it.

Speaking of transportation, all they had were their bikes. And while reliable, a sport bike couldn't do jack shit in the snow unless it was equipped with studded snow tires. While that was fine for him, as the base wasn't too far of a drive for him, she needed to have something for her work. She'd often be transporting supplies and important blueprints that couldn't be ruined by the weather. So he got to work trying to find themselves a vehicle that they could use. The ADCE did rent vehicles to liminals that needed them, but payments were outrageous. Mostly to deter those that wanted to use the service as a long-term solution. As a host, he didn't have to pay a penny for that Chevy, and it was perfect. Eventually, he managed to find a Ford Excursion with decently low mileage on it. It was an early basic model with no bells or whistles, but Nadezhda could drive it, so there weren't any complaints on her end. But it was a gas guzzler, despite being a diesel. One of the worst to ever exist. And that sucked.

The couple spent most of their time working, usually only having the weekends to really date. And that usually just involved going out to dinner. Though they did get out sometimes. They had gone rafting together once. And they planned to go skiing once winter hit. Instead of long walks in the park, they rode everywhere. They'd be holding hands while waiting at a traffic light, and then boom! She'd usually speed off first, assuming the lead on her Ninja, cackling all the way. The biggest change in their relationship was, of course, the intimacy. Getting to touch each other without having some government watchdog over their back was wonderful. Eventually, the inevitable happened, and they consummated their relationship.

It happened during a full moon no less. Nadezhda's libido had spiked out of control one evening. She didn't want to take 'no' for an answer again. Not this time. However, it hadn't taken much to fully arose him. And soon, James had taken the lead like a beast. He remembered kneeling over her, as she laid naked on their custom-made bed. The most expensive thing they owned as a couple. Her long black hair lay spread out behind her, and covered the sheets. She looked so beautiful. Like an angel. He proceeded to pump several years' worth of sexual aggravation into her that evening. His mind flashing back to OTS, to IFT, to SUPT, and his SERE training. And then his deployment to Syria on top of that.

His thoughts about her were sometimes the only thing that had kept him going. Kept him strong. His fantasies. His wants and desires. When she finally declared her own love for him, the ogress became the only thing that he had ever wanted. For so long he had held back his emotions, feelings, and desires. But not that evening. With several thrusts, he pumped his manhood into her warm, tight opening as they climaxed together. Physically spent, he collapsed onto the bed next to her. He draped his arm over her stomach, just under her breasts, as he nuzzled the back of her neck with his forehead. This had been what he wanted. And now that he'd gotten it, he wanted more. He made up his mind right there. He was going to make this woman his bride.

* * *

 **Seven months later…**

 **Verkhny Ufaley, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russian Federation…**

The couple decided to visit Nadezhda's parents for New Years'. The holiday worked a bit differently in Russia, being celebrated a week later than in the US. And two weeks after Christmas. The reason was just as much religious as it was a tradition, as most Christians in Russia used to celebrate Christmas under the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar. At one point, the former USSR banned Christmas trees, so the people began using them to celebrate New Years' instead. And that became the primary holiday instead. What that meant for the couple, was that they could celebrate Christmas in the States with James' family before leaving for Russia. That had also given him some time to request a vacation, as well as obtain a passport. He also had to observe the rules and regulations stated in the Foreign Clearance Guide (FCG.) Upon review of his request, his colonel discouraged him from going, because of the threat of harassment. Once James had given his reasons for going, he was encouraged to hide his identity as an USAF pilot. Nadezhda just had to work long enough at her job to obtain leave. She worked directly underneath the architect. She spent most of her time turning drawings that he did into projects that could be submitted to the City of Denver, or the department of permits and codes. She also spent a good deal amount of time drawing as-builts on the computer.

James father had given him a hard time about buying the Excursion, while his mother was happy that he and Nadezhda had come out and officially announced their relationship. She teased her son endlessly, and was already jokingly planning the rehearsal dinner for their wedding. She really liked the ogress, and thought that she'd make a fine wife for her son someday. James and his dad spoke a bit about the trip, as well as the pilot's expectations for meeting the man that might very well turn out to be his father-in-law someday. Nadezhda had kept in touch with her mother regularly through Skype, and her family was looking forward to their visit. This trip wasn't going to be cheap either. Even splitting the cost down the middle still came out to more than two grand apiece. And that was just the plane tickets. Nadezhda had worked a little while in college, and managed to save back some money that she had placed in an emergency fund just for this purpose. James, on the other hand, was scrambling. Having just bought a truck for them to use had left his wallet empty. Money was going to be really tight for them afterwards, at least for a few months.

They took an early morning Delta flight from Denver International, to JFK Airport in New York City. From there, they had to switch over to an Aeroflot flight to SVO International in Moscow. They switched planes again, and hopped on a flight to Chelyabinsk. A large city located in the Ural Mountains a thousand miles to the east. Jet lagged and exhausted, they still had a three-hour train ride from there, before they finally reached her home town of Verkhny Ufaley. Located in the Chelyabinsk Oblast roughly 90 miles to the northwest of the administrative center, the modest sized town boasted a population of around 30,000. The towns rolling hills stretched as far as the eye could see. The Ufaley River snaked right through the town. James wished he could have seen this place in the summer. Snow blanketed the landscape, giving the town an almost nostalgic feeling. Now he understood why his girlfriend had chosen to move to Colorado to study. He took a deep breath, holding the air in his lungs. It wasn't as clean or as pure as the air back home, but the water from the ponds and streams was. Maybe even more so. Nadezhda chuckled, and promised to take him to Lake Itkul to go ice fishing later.

A taxi had taken them from the train station to her parents house. It was a one and a half story home with wooden lap siding, located about a mile from the lake. It looked cozy, to say the least. The first thing that caught his eye about the residence was that it had two front doors. The door on the right looked to be around seven feet tall. A standard height for a human. While the door to the left was probably three feet taller. He was going to question his girlfriend about this when she opened, and entered through the large door. The walls were covered in the same wooden lap siding as the outside, except sanded and stained a different color. The living room floor was covered with a thick beige carpet. It had a rustic, yet elegant feel to it. Unlike his parents' home, which had a ton of natural light from its many windows, this home was the opposite. It felt dark. There were countless lamps set throughout the house instead. There were windows, but not many. The living room only had one by the door, and it was covered by a thick drape. Then there was a tall and thin one that stretched to the ceiling by the kitchen. Speaking of the ceilings, they looked to be at least twelve feet tall. Nadezhda couldn't touch the top, even if she stood on her toes. She left her bags and shoes by the door and called out for her parents.

A moment later, her voice was answered in the form of surprise and jubilation as a feminine voiced answered. It was her mother. His girlfriend invited him forward and introduced him.

"Mama, this is my boyfriend James."

James shook the older woman's hand warmly. She wore a black skirt and a light green blouse. She wore a white sweater over that, which she left unbuttoned. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Getting a good look at the older woman up close, James could say that she was gorgeous. She was a few inches shorter than he was. She and her daughter both had the same long dark hair, and the same facial complexion, but she had more wrinkles. She was basically a scaled down version of his girlfriend. And her English was surprisingly good. James didn't speak Russian at all. However, the wheels in his head began to spin. He had assumed that his girlfriend had been adopted. She never really spoken about her parents, her father in particular, and he had never really asked. Partially because he didn't want to make her feel insecure. Now having seen Nadezhda and her mother up close, it was abundantly clear that they were biologically related. He felt a chill run down his spine. It was becoming clear to him why she never spoke in detail about her father, beyond a superficial scope. Especially around his own parents.

A loud, booming voice shook the house, as heavy footsteps began to descend the stairs. Nadezhda's eyes went wide with joy, as she ran into the living room to greet her father. James followed behind her mother, and just stopped. There stood a man. No… This was definitely a liminal. Larger than any that he had ever seen in his life. He was a full head taller than his girlfriend! Her father was an ogre. He had on a pair of blue jeans, and a solid black flannel shirt. His short brown hair was combed forward, and his beard was trimmed. He had a single horn growing out of his forehead, except his was much larger than his daughters. His face was wrinkled and leathery, like an old shoe. Despite that, he still appeared to be in great shape. James could see the definition of his muscles even through his shirt. There was no denying that he cast an intimidating shadow.

Dinner that evening was beef stroganoff with a side of borsch, a type of beet and cabbage stew. James had eaten the former before, but he wasn't aware that it was a traditional Russian meal. Afterwards, her father invited him to drink with him in the living room. The big ogre offered him a glass, and poured his guest some vodka.

"Nadezhda tells me that you are soldier," the older liminal said.

His English wasn't great, and his accent was heavy. But he spoke in short sentences that were easy to understand. He sat down in an easy chair that was large enough to support his frame. James chuckled to himself that he hadn't spotted it earlier. Looking around now, there was furniture in the house that was obviously too large to seat an average sized human. He sat down in the smaller easy chair on the opposite side of the ogre.

"I'm a fighter pilot in the air force, Sir" the younger man relied.

"A pilot, eh? You must be big shot then."

The older liminal grinned and downed the rest of his glass, replacing it with more of the clear liquid. James chuckled sheepishly.

"Not really. I'm still just a lieutenant. And I'm still flying wingman on most missions."

"A lieutenant?" he asked in surprise.

The liminal man was impressed. The youngster didn't look to be much older than his daughter.

"You fly Eagle?"

"Fighting Falcons," the younger man corrected.

Nadezhda's father took out a cigar and lit it. He offered one to James, but he politely declined. The ogre took a drag on it as if it were a regular cigarette, and slowly blew the smoke out of his mouth. He leaned back in his chair.

"I serve in Soviet Army for 20 years. I reach rank of starshina (sergeant major) during Cold War. You deployed?"

"Yes, Sir. To Syria."

"Syria? Messy place there right now," the ogre took another drink from his glass.

It looked as if he wanted to say something else, but then Nadezhda's mother walked over and placed two plates, each with a slice of honey cake on it, on either side of the table between them. She leaned over and whispered something in Russian into her husband's ear. The older liminal looked annoyed, but nodded his head in compliance. She shot James a smile, and walked back into the kitchen. The older liminal sighed as if he wanted to talk about the war in Syria more, but dropped it. Instead he switched gears.

"When Nadezhda leave for America, I say Chelyabinsk have opportunity for her, but she makes up her mind to study there. We cannot not afford that, but the government gives her money."

He snuffed his cigar, and grabbed the plate next to him and began eating his cake. James did the same. It was wonderful. Soft and creamy, with a great texture. He subconsciously wondered if his girlfriend could bake something this good. Maybe if he asked her nicely, she'd give it a shot. He finished his dessert and placed his plate back on the table. Nadezhda's father did the same.

"We are happy she graduates from university. But we did not see her for five years," the older liminal explained.

"That program pays for her education, but that program never pays for her to come home. That was criminal! We did not want her to find trouble."

James could hear the sadness and the bitterness in his voice. And he could relate. For two combined years, he didn't get to see her either.

"We hear from Nadezhda about young man she stays with. He cares for her. Gives her roof over her head, and food to eat. This makes me happy. Makes me very happy to hear that he cannot touch her against American law. Then, one year ago, we hear from Nadezhda. She loves this man now. This man, being you."

He pointed at James, as he relit his cigar. His voice started out rough, and full of aggression, but got a little softer as he spoke.

"I cannot lie. I think this was scheme for you, and I want to strangle you. But, my mind changes when I hear her talk on computer, after you leave for deployment. She was sad. She cries every day. She wants you. Nadezhda never acts like this. She makes up her mind about university, and she was never distracted. She must love you. I cannot accept this! You will answer me now…"

He turned and glared at the younger man, but James didn't back down. He remained physically unmoved. The older liminals onyx eyes bored into his, and suddenly the two were at a deadlock.

"…Tell me your intentions with Nadezhda," he commanded.

The younger man took breath, and mentally slapped himself. He already knew what he wanted out of this relationship. But it was too early to ask that of the older liminal. Not yet.

"I want to continue giving Nadia a happy home. She was always very kind to me. But I could tell that she was homesick. I did my best to make her smile, and to show her how to have fun," James said.

"I won't lie. I fell for her first. But because I was a professional, and the law forbade it, I never tried anything with her. We were friends. But I wanted more. And it was because I wanted more that I became an officer. She inspired me to push myself harder. Achieve my dreams. And become a better man. I'm not happy _unless_ I can share my happiness with her. Her joy is my joy. Her pain is my pain. And her sorrow, is my sorrow. And for her, I would fight anyone that gets between us. The government. The military. Even her own father if I have too..."

James levelled his gaze at the ogre across the table. The older liminal seemed to be mulling over his answer. Suddenly, he began howling with laughter. His rough and hawkish face contorting with a smile that reflected a fair amount of respect for the young lad in front of him. He liked this kid. He was humble, but at the same time he wasn't spineless. In truth, the ogre was trying to test his grit. But he supposed he should have known better. The USAF didn't accept cowards into their ranks. He also saw quite a bit of his younger self in the boy too. It wasn't easy for an ogre to take a human wife decades before when the world was still coming to grips with the existence of monsters.

"Listen, Sir. I love Nadia. I really do. I'm not bothered by the fact that she's an extra-species. It doesn't concern me that her country and mine don't see eye to eye. For a year I sat in the cockpit of a plane, fighting a war overseas, and just about the only thing that I could think about was her. I can tell you how excited I was when I got my wings. Or the first time I time I flew. Or the first time I fired a missile. Seeing her again after I came home trumped all of those…"

"Alright, you make good points," the older liminal interrupted.

"I like that passion. Don't lose that. And you treat Nadezhda right."

"I will, Sir."

The two men shook hands, as Nadezhda and her mother chuckled from the doorway of the kitchen, having listened to the entire thing.

The couple stayed with her parents for a week and a half before heading back to the States. James got to witness New Years' done Russian style. It ended up being a huge celebration. And what a spread! There was a pork roast, a type of dumpling called a pelmeni, a type of meat jelly called kholodets, herring pies, Olivier, shuba, and beetroot salads, cheese and salami appetizers, and tangerines. Along with champagne, and of course more vodka. All this food wasn't just for him and his girlfriends family, as he got to meet her aunt and uncle and cousins. Family on her mothers side were human, while family on her father side were liminal. Despite that, they were still one big close-knit family. And James liked that. His extended family was all spread out. So his holidays had always been small.

Even though the cost of travel was expensive, James wanted to try and plan another trip down here the next year. He also figured it was for the best if he studied up on his Russian. Nadezhda's parents hated to see her leave again, but they all had work and responsibilities. Her mother worked as a seamstress, and her father worked in the local coal mine. James felt really good about the trip. It felt as if he and her father had come to understand each other. The ogre had just wanted what was best for his daughter, and to make sure that the man that had stolen her heart wasn't some deviant in disguise. That was a trait that humans and liminals shared. They all wanted what was best for their children. Having said their final farewells' for the time being, the couple begin their long journey back to the States.

* * *

 **One year later…**

 **Denver, Colorado…**

James proposed to her shortly afterwards. It was a spontaneous decision, but he felt ready. Even though they had only been formally dating for the past several months, they had known each other for the past six years. So it felt a lot longer than that. Especially after all they had gone through together. She accepted. Surprisingly, both of their families had been supportive of the engagement. They set the wedding date for the following year.

That gave both of them time to plan the ceremony, speak to the caterer, and for their friends and families to arrange various events along the way. James bought a nice suit for himself, while Nadezhda found a dress that she liked. They tried to keep things inside of a budget, as neither one of their families were particularly wealthy. However, that hadn't mattered to her father. The liminal man had worked for years saving for her education, and thanks to the government, he never had to touch any of that. Instead, he was going to use that money to give his little girl the wedding that she wanted.

Nadezhda's friends handled her bridal shower, while James' dad and his friends took him out for his bachelors party right before the wedding. Amazingly, they had kept it clean and respectable. He was half-expecting to see a bunch of strippers. Since it was winter, they went skiing, and then got drunk in the cabin. This was their way of partying. He couldn't have asked for anything more. Being an officer in the air force, he was given the option of having a military wedding, but he turned it down. He wanted to get married in a normal suit, since he didn't get to wear those very often.

Nadezhda's parents and relatives flew in from Russia for the rehearsal dinner. Her father had never stepped foot on American soil, but had been quite impressed by what he'd seen in New York. He really seemed to enjoy the atmosphere around Denver as well. James was delighted watching his parents hit it off so well with hers. That evening toasts were shared, pictures were shown, tears were shed, and jokes were made at both their expenses. It was all in good fun.

The ceremony was being held inside the hall of the lodge in one of the state parks. It was cheaper to rent it during the winter. They had sent out 150 invites, and nearly all of them were in attendance. Nadezhda designed the alter herself, but someone else had built it. After the guests had all been seated, James and his groomsmen came out first, wearing the matching suits that he had picked out. These were his best friends. His comrades. His amigos. A couple of these guys he had known since childhood. Others he had met in college over a decade ago. And yet, he was the first of his bunch to get married.

The bridesmaids came out next, one at a time. They were all the ogress' friends from college. While it came as a bit of a shock to a few of them when Nadezhda got engaged so soon, they had all given her a fair amount of grief for refusing to date while in school. At least now they knew why. She was holding out for that one special guy, and James had met their approval. His parents entered and were seated next, followed by her mother.

Then the music started to play, and out stepped the bride, escorted by her father. The big ogre cleaned up nicely, looking really sharp in a suit that had been tailored just for him. Nadezhda looked amazing. James was absolutely blown away. She was wearing a strapless billowy ball gown, with sparkles on the chest. The bottom was embroidered with a floral pattern all the way around. Her hair had been styled in an updo, and she had on a lacy white headband. Her transparent veil stretched down to her shoulders. A set of high heels jacked up her already impressive height by a good three inches.

The minister said a few words, and Nadezhda took her place under the alter. She took James' hands. She gazed down at him with the biggest smile on face. They exchanged vows first, and then rings. Then they turned towards the minister.

The elderly man asked him first, "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward. In sickness, and in heath. For richer, or for poorer. Until death takes you?"

"I do."

Then he turned to the bride, "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward. In sickness, and in heath. For richer, or for poorer. Until death takes you?"

"I do."

Then the minister said, "By the power vested in the me by the state of Colorado, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

James tilted his head up as Nadezhda leaned down, and they kissed. It was a surreal feeling for them both. They were married! A loud cheer erupted as they made their way out of the hall. Later on that evening, they partied with their friends and family. Singing, laughing, and dancing. These were memories that were going to last for the rest of their lives.

The next morning, after they loaded down the Excursion, they said their goodbyes and took off. It was winter, but it wasn't snowing. The weather was clear, and warm outside. Their friends and family had decorated their truck in secret, so James drove away with all sorts of cans, streamers, and graffiti stuck to his vehicle. Venice Beach was their destination, and according to his research, the temperature should be perfect this time of year. He shot a glance at his wife, and smiled. They shared one last kiss before leaving, both of them feeling their sense of adventure rising. Fate, as it turned out, had been kind to them. Whatever the future held, they'd greet it together. The loneliness that they had endured for so long, having been apart from each other, had finally been shattered. Now they were able to walk together, hand in hand, on the beaches of tomorrow.


	3. Meet Ximena and Aurelia (Part 1)

Authors Notes 

This is part 1 of a two-part chapter. I wanted to stick to a one chapter a month release schedule, but there's too much material to cover for me to do that until the introductory chapters are done. This is introductory chapter 3 of 4. After that the main storyline will start. As for part 2 of this chapter, check my profile for progress reports and additional information. I update that a couple times each month.

* * *

Meet Ximena and Aurelia

 _\- Part 1 -_

 **6 Years Ago…**

 **Richmond, Virginia…**

A white Lexus LX-570 sped down the interstate, its paint reflecting the rays of the morning sunlight. Inside were two occupants, a mother and her daughter. The latter would be starting college that fall. The large SUV was packed nearly to the brim with boxes. As her mother listened to the radio, the girl tapped away on her smartphone. All her friends from high school had gone their own separate ways, so she was quite grateful to have social media. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; that's all she needed. Holding her phone out in front of her, the girl snapped a selfie. Smiling gleefully, she proceeded to send the photo to her friends.

"That's like the third photo of yourself you've taken since we've been on the road," said her mother. "I doubt anything's changed since yesterday when you were up all night talking to them."

The girl rolled her eyes, her mother didn't quite grasp social media. She was from an older generation and time period, and viewed the world differently.

"It's so boring having to sit in the car for this long," replied the girl as she stretched and reclined in her seat, the leather feeling cool against her skin.

"Besides, I offered to drive, but you wouldn't let me."

The older woman laughed, "The $750 in repairs to your father's car is a good enough reason not to let you anywhere near the controls, sweetie."

The girl pouted. It wasn't her fault that her dad's Audi possessed more power than she had expected. That ditch she drove into had appeared out of nowhere. Her mother sighed. Her daughter was quite intelligent, at least from a book smart perspective. She graduated near the top of her class, and had the GPA to go to any university she wanted. She just lacked common sense. The older woman was hoping that college life would hammer some better judgement into her daughters brain.

"I already paid dad back, though. I worked all summer! So, why do you have to keep holding that over my head?"

Her mother groaned, "Just drop it, okay? If you get really good grades your first year, then I'll talk to your father about getting you a car of your own."

The girls eyes lit up. That was even enough for her to put her phone down, for about five seconds. She was the only person she knew that didn't have a car in high school, and she felt pathetic having to ask for rides all the time. She was like a child having to wait for one of her parents to come and get her every day.

"You'll be the one paying the insurance kid, so don't get too excited," her mother continued. "Wreck it, and it's your responsibility to get it fixed."

The girl groaned in defeat. She'd have to get a part time job if she wanted a car, and that's exactly what her parents wanted her to do. In reality, she didn't really need one. All the stores and shops were going to be close to the campus, so it would just be a glorified grocery hauler. She looked at the GPS; they were about 20 minutes away from their destination. Gazing lazily out the window, she placed her phone in her jacket pocket, and leaned back in her seat. The girl perked up as her mother pulled into the parking lot of the campus owned apartments. She wanted to live here instead of a dorm room, because there was more privacy, and rent was cheaper than boarding fees. Her mother eyed the yellow and black flag with a picture of a ram on it. The letters 'VCU' dominated the center.

"And here we are, that wasn't too bad of a drive. How long did that take us, two and half hours?" her mother asked while musing.

"The campus is really pretty too. Your father seemed pleased with it, from what he told me."

The girl nodded in agreement. Her family was from Baltimore, and her father was a professor at one of the major universities there. She wanted to study mathematics, as it had been her best subject in school. Her dad tried to get her to go to MIT, but that was in Boston, and she didn't want to study that far away from home.

"Virginia U seemed pretty cool, but one of the professors there told me about the program here, and I like it," replied the girl.

"There's more people here, and Richmond has a lot more to offer than Charlottesville. I would have been so totally cramped there."

The girl got out of the car, and stretched her arms and legs, as her mother did the same. Both were around the same height, and possessed the same flawless tanned skin, along with the same gorgeous looks and curvaceous figures.

"We'll stop by the office, and get your lease signed. I've looked into this complex online, and it seems reputable enough," her mother said. "The outside looks nice, doesn't it?"

The girl nodded in agreement, as she followed her mother towards the front office. The manager at the desk yawned, and took a sip of her coffee. She had been assisting students and their parents all morning. With fall classes starting in just a few days, rooms were filling up fast. There was a knock at the door which caused her to perk up. It opened to reveal two women. At passing glance the manager thought that they were twins, until she took a closer look. Her eyes widened, now realizing that they were mother and daughter. They looked practically identical. They shared a very similar facial complexion, and had the same pointed ears. They had the same cobalt blue hair, the same black sclerae below perceiving red eyes, and the same black wings, horns, and tails. They were devils. The 'mother' had a very slight amount of wrinkles on her face, and was dressed more conservatively. The manager stood up from her chair, as the older liminal woman approached her with a smile on her face.

"Welcome to Virginia Commonwealth University. Thank you for choosing the campus apartments," she greeted.

"Thank you for having us," the older devil replied. "I'm Mrs. Vespertilio, and this is my daughter Aurelia."

She motioned towards the younger devil, who had taken her phone out and was playing on it once more. She looked up just long enough to offer a half-hearted greeting, before hearing her mother growl. Aurelia gazed up, only to be greeted by a pair of red eyes staring menacingly at her. She immediately put the phone away, and apologized. The girl listened as her mother and the office manager chatted. Her mother seemed to be satisfied with the lease, and they both signed it. Aurelia took her room key, and stood. She turned and began to make her way back towards the SUV, just missing the manager mentioning to her mother that her roommate was already in the process of moving in.

* * *

Seeing extra-species was a common sight in America. They were so integrated, that most humans treated them as equals. And they were recognized as such under the law. Even though her parents were immigrants, Aurelia had been born here. She was a natural US citizen. She had the same rights as humans, and was not subject to the rules and regulations that foreign liminals were. The American Department of Cultural Exchange, the branch of the government that oversaw liminal activity, simply ignored her. It was unlawful for an ACDE agent to even approach her, and ask for proof of citizenship. Of course, the tradeoff meant that was she not eligible to receive any services from MON, but she really didn't need those.

' _Hopefully my room has a window that can be opened. It's going to be so much easier if I can just fly up there, and toss all my stuff inside,'_ Aurelia thought to herself.

' _If not, then using the stairs is going to be such a pain.'_

The young devil opened the back of the SUV and grabbed her suitcase, and couple of her bags. With her key in hand, she began walking towards the apartment complex. She had seen a number of liminals flying overhead when they reached the campus grounds. Most city districts had regulations on what those with wings could, and couldn't do. Flight over public parks, schools, and most businesses was permitted. Flight over hospitals, prisons, and airports was prohibited for obvious reasons. A few public works facilities were restricted as well. College campuses normally allowed flight on their grounds, and VLC looked to be no exception. Aurelia caught a glimpse of her mother walking out of the office, and stopped. The older devil approached her, brandishing a stabled stack of papers.

"This is your copy of the lease, so don't lose it. And you might want to read over it too. It's got all the rules and regulations in there as well."

The girl let out a sigh, "Fine, fine. I'm going up to my room."

Her mother shot her a glare as she watched her daughter walk towards the elevator, "Your roommate should already be up there. The office manager told me she got here about half an hour ago."

Aurelia cocked an eyebrow. Her roommate? She didn't think she'd have one. She was under the impression that hers was single room suite. Did they change it because they didn't have enough available rooms? She cursed to herself, wishing that she hadn't of left that meeting.

' _Then again, it might be fun having a roommate,'_ she thought, as she rode up to the top of the building. Then she shook her head.

' _Ah, who am I kidding? There's a 50/50 chance that this person's going to be totally lame. Ugh…'_

Her room was located about halfway down the east hall. She knocked a few times on the door, but didn't get a response. She noticed that the door was ajar, and pushed it open. Aurelia stepped inside and looked around. It was nice looking apartment. The entryway had tile flooring instead of linoleum. The kitchen had a big fridge, a four-burner stove, a microwave, a dishwasher, and a duel sink. There didn't appear to be room for a dining room table, but the kitchen counter had a built-in bar. The carpet in the living room was beige, and she was surprised to see that it came furnished with a couch. There were several boxes stacked up in the living room, along with a reclining chair and a bookcase. No one else was here. Aurelia walked down the hall to the spare bedroom, and opened the door. She caught a glimpse of the room up from hers, closest to the kitchen. She cracked open the door and quickly peaked inside. There were several more boxes, a couple bags, a desk chair, a computer table, an already made bed, and clothes strewn everywhere.

' _I wonder if this person's going to be a human, or a liminal like me? What are the odds it'll be another devil? That would be kinda sweet.'_

Aurelia turned, and entered her room. The only things inside were a bed, a dresser, and a desk table. Everything else she needed was still packed up in the SUV. She left her suitcase by the bed, and put the bags on top, quickly glancing over her bathroom. It was small, given the space between the toilet and the sink, but the shower was large. It had clearly been modified for liminal use, meaning that she could stretch out her wings and not be cramped. Nodding in approval, she turned and tried to open her bedroom window, only to find that it was sealed shut, and wouldn't budge. Deflating with disappointment, she turned to return to the car for another load.

* * *

Aurelia returned carrying a guitar case in one hand, and an amp in the other. Music was her passion. She'd been playing ever since she was 17. While she couldn't read music all that well, she was great at playing it by ear. Her mother walked behind her carrying a box filled with laundry room supplies. To their surprise, the front door was open. Aurelia could hear voices inside. She walked in and placed the amp and guitar case on the floor next to the kitchen counter. A middle-aged Hispanic man walked around the corner of the hallway, conversing in Spanish to an unseen figure. He turned, and stopped short in surprise upon seeing the two devil women in front of him. Slowly he smiled, and greeted them in English.

"Ah, so you must be my daughter's roommate, and mother, I presume?"

Aurelia's mother grinned, rather impressed that the man could tell them apart so easily. Then again, she had been told by others in the past that she naturally gave off a motherly aura, along with an authoritative vibe. She figured a father could pick up on something like that.

"I'm Mr. Juarez. It's a pleasure."

The older liminal introduced herself, and shook the man's hand. Aurelia did the same. They made a bit of small talk with the man, until he turned and shouted towards the hallway.

"Hey, Ximena! You've got guests. Come and say hello."

Aurelia's mind was spinning, trying to imagine this girl that was going to be her new roommate. She bit her thumb in anticipation, as a figure appeared behind the corner. The young devil's eyes widened in surprise. The girl was a harpy, and a tall one too. She was about half a foot taller than she was, and the same height as her father. Her feathers were a mixture of indigo and violet hues, with the tips being light blue. Her wings were long, practically touching the floor. The claws on her thumbs were large and pronounced. Like most harpies, the scales on her legs and feet were bronze. Her hair was gold in color, with streaks of orange hue mixed in. Her eyes shone as blue as the sky. She was wearing a 'VCU' tee-shirt and low-cut blue jean shorts. The girl flashed a wide smile, presenting a very cheerful personality.

"It's nice to meet'cha!" she exclaimed, shaking the older devil's hand. "I'm sure we'll be such good friends!"

Aurelia's mother laughed before gesturing to the younger devil beside her, "My daughter's the one that will be staying here, I'm her mother."

The harpy looked shocked, "Mother? No way! I thought you were sisters. My apologies."

The older devil chuckled at the girl's exasperated tone, "Yeah, we tend to get that a lot. No worries. Aurelia; why don't you and your new roomie get acquainted, while I put some of this stuff away. We'll get your room set up in a bit."

She turned and picked up the box of supplies, and headed towards the laundry room, as Aurelia began to converse with the harpy.

"So, are you from around here, or did you come from out of state?" she asked her new roommate.

"Out of state," the harpy replied. "I'm from Dover, in Delaware, so we had about a three-hour drive. And you?"

"Baltimore. I guess the drive time was about the same for us," the devil girl replied.

Suddenly, she found herself standing in awkward silence as the harpy eyed her with a confused look on her face. It was a little unnerving.

"Are you…Uh-what type of liminal are you, are you some kind of horned bat?"

Aurelia's eye began to twitch. A bat? Hell no! Technically speaking, bats, vampires, and devils all shared the same family, but they were different species. And sure, her last name did translate to 'bat' in Latin, because her father had an awful sense of humor. Still, she didn't like being called that.

"I'm a greater devil; not a bat."

The taller liminal girl smiled in understanding. On that note, Aurelia had never seen a harpy like this girl either. At first glance, she figured Ximena was a raptor, but that wasn't right.

"Not to sound rude here, but I'm not quite sure what type of liminal you are either," she said, turning red with embarrassment.

The girl grinned, not showing the slightest sign of indignation, "I'm a garuda. I've been told that most of us live in South Asia, but I've met several others living in my area."

Aurelia nodded. That was likely due to the high concentrations of Indian-Americans living on the east coast. But a Hispanic father? That was unusual. Harpies were a mono-gender species like the lamia. Every harpy was born female, and they required human men to reproduce. On second look, Ximena really didn't resemble her father at all.

The harpy giggled, "I get asked that a lot. And my older sister looks more like papa than I do. I look like mama. Oh, wait here for a sec!"

Her eyes lit up as she dashed to grab something from her room, returning with a picture frame in her hand. She held it up for the devil to see. It was a photo of Ximena and her family, taken what Aurelia assumed was a few years ago. Sure enough, the older harpy in the photo had brown hair, and the same eyes as her father. The genetic influence was clearly present.

"My sister graduated college a year ago. She's working in Philly right now," Ximena explained. "Do you have any siblings?"

Aurelia laughed, and nodded, "I have three younger brothers, and all of them are hellraisers."

' _But then again, I taught them everything they know,'_ she thought to herself.

Ximena scratched her chin for a second, trying to find a way to keep the small talk going, "I just turned 18 this summer, so what about you? I imagine we're the same age, right?"

Aurelia's mouth opened and then closed. She bit her lip, and folded her arms. She could only imagine how strange her answer was going to be.

"Before I answer that, know that I'm a purebred devil, meaning that my father's also a greater devil. Do you understand what pure-breeding is?"

Ximena shook her head. She didn't have a clue, and how could she when all harpies were female.

Aurelia sighed in defeat, "I'm 36…"

The garuda just stared at her. Her face seemed to go from an _'is this girl serious?'_ expression, to an _'am I being trolled right now?'_ look, before contorting into an _'oh shit, I think she's actually serious!'_ mien that the devil girl couldn't read. Suddenly, the blonde burst out laughing.

"Wow, so you're actually an old lady!"

Aurelia looked horrified, "No! Biologically I'm the same age as you. But since I'm a purebred, my natural life span is longer than humans and halflings, so I age and mature at a slower rate than devils with human parents would."

Ximena still looked confused. She really didn't understand what the girl was talking about. Sure, she knew that other extra-species did have male and female genders, but she didn't see how pure-breeding could make that much of a difference.

"It works like this…" the devil girl explained.

"…A liminal that has male and female parents of the same extra-species have enhanced traits that halflings – liminals that have one human parent – don't. This could be anything from enhanced senses, increased strength and endurance, or immunity to certain diseases. Each extra-species is different. In the case of purebred devil's like myself, we don't have to worry about contracting the diseases that halfling devils are susceptible to as their bodies begin to age and break down, like cancer. We also live longer. If I don't meet my end in some accident in the future, I'll live to see the next century, and maybe another half-century on top of that."

Ximena looked amazed, "Whoa, you sure do know a lot. Where'd you learn all of that?"

The devil girl beamed with pride, "My dad. He's lived a long life himself, and he's seen just about everything, I suppose. He's a scientist. He heads the biology department at a university back home. He's dedicated his life to unraveling the secrets of liminal genetics."

A noise behind them caught both girls attention, as they turned to find their parents chatting with each other in the hallway. Aurelia's tone became softer and sincerer.

"But regardless of what kind of abilities you or I might possess, I think humans are the most remarkable ones of all. Their genetics and DNA allows them to reproduce with any extra-species. Doesn't matter the gender. Say, Ximena, have you ever met another harpy that had a father that wasn't biologically human?"

That was a good question, the garuda mused as she pondered the bluenette's question. She quickly came to the realization that she hadn't, and shook her head.

"Exactly, harpies can only mate with humans. Biological offspring between a harpy and a male devil wouldn't be possible. Not only that, but the race of the human doesn't matter either. Even more remarkable is the influence of human DNA on liminal DNA. In one generation your human father was able to superimpose his Hispanic traits onto an extra-species that has been predominately South Asian in characteristics for hundreds of years. Don't you think that's remarkable?"

Ximena smiled and nodded her head, "Wow Aurelia, you sure are smart, and here I was thinking that you were a little slow because you couldn't figure out how to open your window."

The devil girl looked aghast, "Wha…"

' _I-I'm slow!? What the hell is her problem? Harpies are complete idiots! What is she even talking about? The window was sealed shut! I saw it,'_ the bluenette fumed internally.

The blonde grinned, and asked the shorter girl to go with her. They entered Aurelia's room, and she watched in astonishment as the harpy began flipping a series of latches that she hadn't even seen. Ximena carefully lifted the metal covering off, and set it to the side. What appeared to be a fused window, was really a layered window with a casing on it. The harpy flipped a few more latches, and up it came, all the way up to the top.

"These windows were designed for extra-species like us. I have one too. The housing director probably put us in the same unit because we can both fly. I'm surprised you carried all your stuff up the stairs. Have you never seen one of these before?"

Aurelia stared at the floor, absolutely flabbergasted. She had never felt this stupid in her entire life.

* * *

Ximena hated goodbyes. She told herself on the drive down that she'd be a big girl and keep it together, but watching her dad's heavy-duty pickup truck disappearing down the road was causing tears to tug at the corners of her eyes. She had never been away from home for too long, and she had almost chosen a college in Wilmington just to stay close to her parents. But she came to Virginia for one reason, and that was to chase a dream. A dream she had no idea how to make into a reality, but she figured this was good place to start. The harpy turned to gaze at her new roommate, who watched the road where her mother's SUV used to be, with a forlorn expression on her face. Perhaps she had come to the same realization, that they were both on their own now.

At first, everything was fine. Aurelia and Ximena both had morning and evening classes, so they left the apartment early and came home late. They only saw each other briefly most days. By the end of the second week, they were speaking to each other in the kitchen, and hanging out in the living room watching television. Then, Aurelia began to notice a few things the she really didn't like about her harpy roommate. The girl was a slob, often leaving her garbage piled up in the living room, papers on the counters and tables, and dishes piled up in the sink. She also had the tendency to leave her clothes scattered everywhere. Overnight, it looked as if a bomb of underwear, shorts, and tank tops had exploded in the laundry room. The greater devil could not understand how one person could be so messy. Ximena on the other hand, was much more carefree about her roommate. Her only major gripe about Aurelia thus far was that she would study late into the night with her lights on, and her room open, and the light would permeate the crack in her door, keeping her up at night. They weren't even a month into the semester, and the garuda couldn't fathom the need to cram every single night. The older liminal was extremely headstrong, as well as being obsessive compulsive. But those were traits that the harpy ignored.

Soon, they were facing a problem; they were out of food. While both of them received an allowance, Aurelia tried to spend her money wisely, even going as far as making a budget, while her harpy roommate blew through her money like an impulsive buyer. Meals on the campus were expensive, but that didn't stop Ximena from eating out most nights. She was a terrible cook. She rarely followed the instructions, preferring just to cook off memory, which led to some truly awful concoctions. She also left food out to spoil overnight, forgetting to put it back in the fridge. The greater devil had even caught her leaving pans on the burner, and then walking off and forgetting about it. It was a miracle she hadn't burned the whole complex down. Aurelia was appalled by her living conditions. She would have thought a garuda would have had more intelligence than the average harpy, but that wasn't the case. They had to go to the grocery store.

"Aurelia, why did we have to do this in the rain!" Ximena whined, as pellets of water assaulted her feathers.

The garuda wore a pink rain jacket that provided some protection, but was loosing the battle against the steady downpour as she flew through the air.

"Because this was the only day that we had where we could do this together, and I'm not hauling all that stuff back by myself," the devil girl responded, flying right behind her.

A storm front had moved into the area the day before, and Aurelia did not want to wait until it passed to go to the store. They were out of everything. She thought about going by herself, but then Ximena would have cried about not being able to buy what she wanted, and like hell she was going to let the harpy take any of her stuff.

"Besides, we're almost there," she responded harshly, as the harpy shot her a crushed look. "Don't be a baby, Ximena. It's not like I wanted to do this today either."

Aurelia's mother had already explained to her that she'd be shit outta luck if she blew through the rest of her money before the end of the week, and advised her to spend it on groceries. Ximena had also received a similar lecture from her parents. With no car, they were stuck carrying the food back, and being able to fly wasn't going to make things easier in this situation. They landed in front of the store, walked inside, and grabbed a shopping cart.

"I've got a little more money to spend than you do, so I don't mind sharing," Aurelia said, as she handed Ximena a list. "If you'll get the stuff that's highlighted, it'll be cheaper."

After about an hour of shopping, their buggy was filled to the brim with food, toiletries, kitchen supplies, laundry supplies, and other goodies. Wait, what? The devil looked bewildered as the harpy dumped a load of candy and junk food into the cart.

"Don't worry, I've done the math. I can make a budget just like you," she said dismissively, with a wave of her wing.

Aurelia sighed. She didn't want to argue with her, but sure enough, they went over budget once the clerk rang them up. Ximena looked crushed having to put back her sweets. The older girl felt like a jerk. She really did. She had been impatient and moody and grouchy with her roommate for weeks now. She turned to the cashier and handed him a charge card that her parents had given to her in case of an emergency.

"Don't worry about it, Ximena. It's on me."

The garuda's eyes lit up, "Wow, thanks Aurelia. You're the best!"

Aurelia smiled softly, as the bagger placed all their stuff into plastic bags, with both of them carrying a handful of groceries in each hand. Or wing, in Ximena's case. It was raining even harder once they got outside. There was nothing but a wall of grey, and a torrential downpour as far as the eyes could see. The greater devil cursed. Why did it have to be like this? The worst part was that she didn't know anyone with a car that could come and get them. She watched as the harpy set her bags on the ground and tied them together as tight as she could, grabbing them with her talons afterwards. Before she could say anything, Ximena had already taken off into the sky!

"Hey, wait! Don't leave without me!" Aurelia shouted, as she grabbed her bags and took off into the air after her.

Took about five seconds flying in the pouring wind and rain for the devil girl to realize that this was Hell. While her green and white raincoat was faring well against the storm, her pants were soaked, and it was cold. She could see her roommate through the haze, hovering over an intersection a few blocks ahead. She was looking around, trying to find the girl that had fallen behind. Aurelia called out her name, but the harpy couldn't hear her. Without warning, Ximena darted forward right as the bluenette was about to pass over the traffic light.

"Wait, stop!"

Aurelia threw her arms up, dropping half of her bags in the process, as the harpy plowed into her. From the ground, it appeared as if the garuda had tackled her in mid-flight. The impact caused Ximena to panic and drop all of her bags as well. She cursed, watching in slow motion as their groceries fell into the traffic below. The older liminal couldn't believe it either. Bags filled with produce, cans, boxed goods, meat, a busted jug of detergent, and the candy she had wanted so badly lay littered in the street. The garuda attempted to fly down and retrieve the bags, but nearly descended into the path of an oncoming truck.

"Ximena, watch out!" Aurelia shouted, as she pulled the girl back, as the drivers horn blared, causing her to drop another bag in the process.

She winced as the semi flattened all their groceries. The bag she had just dropped landed right on some guys roof. Both girls surveyed the damage in disbelief. It was still raining hard, and neither one of them wanted to catch a cold. Ximena turned around and flew back towards the apartment, leaving Aurelia to try and figure out what the heck had just happened. Once they returned, the devil girl wheeled on her roommate as soon as they walked in the door.

"What the hell was that all about, Ximena?!"

The harpy held up both her wings in defense, "I don't know! I was trying to find you, and I didn't realize that you were right behind me. I'm sorry!"

The older liminal wanted to scream in frustration. All the money they had for the rest of the week was gone! All of their food was gone! She placed the one bag that she hadn't dropped onto the counter, and placed her jacket in the laundry, before sitting down in one of the bar stools. She watched as Ximena flung her raincoat to the side of the entryway. The devil girl buried her face her hands, trying to figure out what to do.

"Hey, what about that charge card. Can't you just use that to pay for everything?" she heard her roommate state, her face lighting up as if it were the most obvious solution.

Aurelia glared at the girl like she had a screw loose, "I'm the one that has to pay down the balance. A couple dollars for your candy is one thing, but a hundred dollars for the whole bill? I wouldn't hear the end of my mother's nagging."

"But this _is_ an emergency!" retorted the harpy. "We don't have any food, we don't have any paper towels, or detergent, or soap, or toilet paper…"

Aurelia held up her hand to stop her, "I get it."

"I'll pay you back. I promise! I'm not sure how, but I'll find a way," said the blond, shooting the bluenette a pleading look.

The devil girl let out a long and exasperated sigh, finally withering under her roommates gaze, "Fine. I'll do it, but I'm tired, and I don't feel like going back out into the rain right now."

The harpy shot her a huge grin, "That's okay, next time we can take my car."

Aurelia straightened, and stared at the girl as if she were high, or just really stupid. The two stood in silence for a few moments before the older liminal opened her mouth in astonishment.

"What…?"

The harpy nodded, "Yeah, you can ride with me. Though, we probably should have driven to the store in the first place because of the rain."

Aurelia's eyes twitched, as the realization slowly started to creep in. Ximena had a car on campus. This colossal freaking moron had a car on campus! The devil girl was so mad, that her sclera could have turned blood red to match the color of her eyes. She glared daggers at her roommate, before slamming her fists onto the countertop, startling the younger liminal.

"What the fuck, Ximena! You had a car on campus this whole time, and didn't say anything, why?" She shouted, causing the harpy to shield herself with her wings, as she cowered away in fear.

Aurelia continued to shout expletives, trying to calm herself down before she suffered a mild stroke. Somehow this really didn't surprise her. Harpies weren't known for being the sharpest tools in the shed, and garuda or not, Ximena just proved herself to be no smarter than her dimwitted cousins. After a full minute of silence with the bird girl just standing there in trepidation, watching as her roommate took a few deep breathes, Aurelia stood.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. What happened back there, was stressful. You say you have a car, here on campus? Okay, let's go."

Ximena lowered her wings from her face, and smiled, "Alright! Let me grab my keys first."

She disappeared into her room, and a few moments later returned jiggling a set of keys. Aurelia looked dumbfounded. A part of her had assumed the harpy was lying, but sure enough she had car keys. They grabbed their raincoats, and secured the front door, as Ximena led the way. A myriad of thoughts washed over the devil girl, as she followed her roommate back outside into the pouring rain.

' _How did this girl even get a license? How can she drive with her talons and claws the way they are? Are we going to die on the way there? Of course, we're going to die on the way there. This idiots' going to get me killed!'_

The harpy took off into the air, flying the short distance to the back of the parking lot, landing beside a white Oldsmobile Cutlass that was probably older than she was. The thing was a beater. The paint was faded, and the hood was covered in surface rust. Two of the hubcaps were gone, and the back bumper was dented. It looked like one of those junk cars you could buy for a grand or two. Aurelia stared at it in surprise, as her roommate gestured her wing at it.

"Behold! The Ximena-mobile," the garuda said proudly.

Aurelia felt her eyes twitching again, but this time a wicked grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. Suddenly, she started laughing, as the harpy frowned.

"Jesus Christ, this vehicle looks like shit," she replied. "Will it even start? You've left it out here for so long."

"Ah! Don't be dissing the Ximena-mobile!" the other girl squawked. "I'll have you know this baby has been by my side through thick and thin. Why, we've been on plenty of adventures already!"

Aurelia shot the younger girl an incredulous look, "Your dad bought you this thing as a graduation present, didn't he?"

Ximena nodded, not even turning to acknowledge her, "Yes he did. The Ximena-mobile's been my saving grace in times just like this one, or when I need to go somewhere that's too far to fly."

She unlocked the door, and got in, lifting the knob on the passenger side for her roommate. Aurelia opened the door, and immediately she wished that she hadn't. The inside was filthy! Like god damn. The passenger side floorboard was littered with fast food wrappers and empty cups. The harpy was brushing off the seat, which was covered in potato chip and cookie crumbs. A collection of candy wrappers cluttered the back floorboard, along with a mess of papers and books. Aurelia even spotted an open container of pop tarts in the back, with a half-eaten pastry sitting on the seat. She suddenly felt sick.

"Do you not ever clean this thing?" she asked. "It looks like you've been living out of here."

Ximena shrugged; the car looked fine to her. She put the key in the ignition, and to Aurelia's amazement, it started right up. Even more impressive was the harpy's attention to detail as she quickly checked the lights, wipers, knobs, and gauges to make sure that everything was in working order. Satisfied, she put the car in gear and off they went. The devil girl noted the ease in which the blonde turned the wheel with her clawed hands. Her talons did not hinder her ability to work the peddles, either. Watching her drive was actually impressive. Aurelia felt a little jealous. Maybe the Ximena-mobile wasn't so bad after all.

"Do you like music? Surely, you must like music," Ximena said, turning on the custom stereo. "You're always playing on that guitar of yours, although I don't really like that hardcore metal stuff."

Of course the bluenette liked music. Death metal was her favorite genre. The car exploded with sound, as a deep bass saturated the interior. Aurelia's eyes widened as her roommate began to blast some wild rap music. She didn't really like rap, but at least it was better than country.

* * *

Aurelia wasn't an angry person. Most of the time she considered herself to be a happy person, an easy-going person, and a fun person, but Ximena was seriously starting to wear on her patience. She stared wide eyed at the disaster that was currently her kitchen sink. She tried to rationalize this situation calmly. Sure, she had told the harpy too many times to count to clean up after herself, but she just wouldn't listen. Asking her nicely wasn't working, and yelling at her wasn't going to solve anything. The greater devil was seriously beginning to wonder if her roommate liked living in her own filth. Her red eyes began to dart rapidly back and forth, as she surveyed the carnage before her. Grimy dishes. Pots and pans that were caked with burnt food and oil. Silverware that probably hadn't been cleaned in days. All piled up in a mountainous heap that seemed to stretch to the heavens. She took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, as she reached down underneath the sink to retrieve the dish soap and a sponge. She grabbed the bottle and tilted it upside down, only to find that it was empty. She felt a vein pop in her forehead. There was note taped to the back. She ripped it off in bewilderment, as she began to read:

' _Aurelia. I used the rest of the soap to give the Ximena-mobile a bath. So, we're out. Also, I took the sponge with me and I lost it somewhere :/. Sorry about that.'_

The older liminal felt her blood boiling so quickly, that she didn't even notice the empty soap bottle flying from her hand across the kitchen and into the wall. She screamed in frustration, and slammed her fists into the counter.

"Goddammit, Ximena!"

Was a little bit of respect too much to ask for? When she was a little girl, her parents instilled a strong sense of justice in her, to bring the hammer down on her younger brothers when they couldn't keep an eye on all of them. The two older ones were a handful. Only two years apart by purebred devil standards. They would double team her, and try to make her life a living Hell. What awful little buggers they were. But Aurelia was smart, and cunning, and crafty. She took them down with her wits alone. None of her pranks were ever malevolent though, just bad enough to put some fear in their hearts. Ximena though, was a grown ass woman that should know better than this. Yeah, maybe she was overreacting a little bit, but she didn't like being the house maid. She didn't like having to constantly clean, and mop, and dust to keep their apartment from looking like one of those hoarder homes on the TV. She did _everything_ around the house, while Ximena did NOTHING. Was that fair? She didn't think so. She was tired of this. She wasn't a slave. If her roommate didn't want to listen to her, and respect her as an equal, then she needed to be punished.

But how? What sort of prank could she pull that could show Ximena that she wasn't some doormat for her to walk on, but wouldn't get her booted from the apartment in the process? The gears in her brain began to whirl as she went to her room to fetch her dirty clothes. She stepped into the laundry, and let out an audible groan at the sight of all her roommates clothes once again just thrown all over the place with no care whatsoever. She navigated the pile beneath her feet, hoisting her load onto the top of the washer, not noticing the jug of detergent as she knocked it onto the top of washer with a thud. She gasped in horror as the weighty object fell like domino, taking out the box of Borax beside it. Aurelia watched in slow motion, eyes wide, as white powder fell into the crack between the machine and the wall and onto the floor.

She cursed her luck as she went to grab a paper towel. As she bent down to clean up the mess, she found herself rubbing some of the detergent booster between her fingers. She glanced over at her roommates clothes that were on the floor, as a stroke of deviousness lit up a lightbulb inside her brain.

' _Yes! Oh, yes,'_ she thought to herself, as she grinned mischievously.

It was the perfect prank. One that would surely send a message to that dimwitted harpy not to mess with her. The devil girl began to shovel her roommates dirty laundry in with hers. Cleaning her clothes was step one. Step two would involve a trip to the local Walmart, a short 20-minute flight away, to purchase a certain substance. And then, all she had to do was sit back and watch the show once the time came. She cackled gleefully to herself as she started the washing machine. This was going to be great!

The next day, Ximena found her roommate to be in a surprisingly good mood. She had returned to see that Aurelia had washed and folded all her dirty clothes. She was such a good friend. None the wiser, the harpy put on her favorite shirt and a pair of khaki shorts that really showed off her legs. It was Saturday, and she had plans. She turned to walk out the door, when she suddenly felt a burning sensation in her pants. She crossed her legs, as a massive wave of discomfort struck her nether regions. She turned to see the devil girl grinning at her from the hallway, with a smug expression on her face. She had a backpack slung across her shoulder.

"Is something wrong, Ximena? You look like you're having some problems."

"What did you do to me," the harpy asked in confusion.

"I didn't do anything," Aurelia replied innocently. "Maybe you just have a really bad yeast infection. You gotta take better care of yourself, girl."

"Bah! I'll have you know that my body is a temple!" Ximena screeched.

"Oh is it? I figured since you like living in your own filth, that you don't bathe or change your clothes," the devil girl teased.

"Oh, screw you!" shouted the garuda.

The discomfort was starting to build into a sharp pain. Ximena clawed at the front of her pants to no avail. The itch had reached its crescendo. With a yelp, she dropped her shorts to the floor, exposing her lacy pink panties. She looked around in desperation, looking for anything that she could use to soothe the burning feeling between her legs. Suddenly, she turned on the faucet and leapt onto the counter, burying her crotch underneath the cold water. She turned and glared at her roommate, who stared in surprise at the scene unfolding in front of her. She smiled and began to laugh, as the harpy turned bright red in embarrassment.

"You put itching powder in my shorts, didn't you?" Ximena accused, coldly.

The devil girl shrugged, "I have no idea what you're talking about. But if I were in your shoes, I'd wash all my clothes over again. Have a nice day!"

The younger liminal growled, as the bluenette turned on her heels and left.

' _Oh, she's messing with the wrong girl if she thinks I'm to take this lying down,'_ Ximena raged to herself.

The next morning, Aurelia returned after pulling an all-nighter finishing a term paper, and studying for a round of tests that were starting the next week. All of her classes were honors programs, and her 18-hour course load all but demanded that she live at the campus. She stirred in her bed, moaning as her alarm jostled her from her sleep. She grabbed her phone, and checked the time. It was just after 9:30 am. She hit the snooze button, and promptly went back to sleep. She heard a noise, and turned to see her roommate looming over her. The garuda had a deranged look on her face. Aurelia gasped and sat up; the rush of adrenaline forcing her awake.

"Ximena, what are you doing in my room?!"

Suddenly, the harpy bent down and raised what looked like the mop bucket over her head. Aurelia looked on in horror as a torrent of ice-cold water hit her, sending shock waves dancing across her body.

"Rise and shine!" the blonde shouted devilishly.

Aurelia shrieked, mouth agape at the sheer audacity of this girl. She grit her teeth and let loose with a dangerous sounding noise, almost like a feral animal.

"Consider that payback for the itching powder!" Ximena said triumphally, raising her wing into the air.

The devil girl lunged at her roommate, but the harpy was too quick. She bolted into her room, and flew out the open window before the older liminal could catch her. Aurelia snarled, and threw up her hands in defeat. Now she was going to have to spend the day doing laundry, and airing out her bed. Just great.

' _Good one, Ximena.'_

This was now a blood feud. No way was she going to let that feathered fiend get away with this. No way! Aurelia seethed, as she tore the cold, wet sheets from her bed. She was going to pay. Ximena had continued on as normal, not thinking of this ordeal as anything other than a simple tit-for-tat. Oh, was she wrong! The devil girl waited until her roommate was fast asleep, sneaking into her room in the middle of the night. She set up her guitar and amp, setting it beside the sleeping harpy, turning up the volume to max. She cackled like a lunatic, and strummed a note, sending soundwaves blasting through the bedroom. Aurelia began to play one of her favorite riffs; the fast and brutal music tearing through the entire apartment like a cacophony of savagery, jolting Ximena from her slumber. The bird girl flew from her bed, and smacked the wall with enough force to knock her out for a few seconds.

"Oh my god, I wish I had gotten that on camera!" cried Aurelia, as she howled with laughter.

She took her amp and set it up in the living room, playing and causing such a raucous that Ximena didn't even try to argue. Tired and defeated, she took her pillow and blanket and spent the rest of the night sleeping in her car.

"And that's two," the devil girl said, watching the harpy leave as the door slammed behind her.

And so began the great prank war that would last the rest of the month. Aurelia watched her back the first couple of days, but lowered her guard as the next week dragged on. Tests were over for the time being, but she had another project that she was working on that was taking most of her time. She was a caffeineaholic, and survived off energy drinks. Most of her food budget was sunk into buying cases of Red Bull. Ximena had noticed this. One evening, as Ximena was studying at the counter, while munching on a bowl of cereal, she stopped as she watched her roommate enter to get some refreshment. They exchanged polite greetings, as Aurelia opened the refrigerator and pulled out a can. She cracked the tab and lifted the carbonated goodness to her lips, but something didn't taste right. She spat the contents out of her mouth, and dropped the energy drink onto the floor. She watched as a white substance spilled out of the top.

"What did you do, Ximena?"

The harpy got down off the stool, swung around the counter, and peered down onto the floor, "I didn't do anything," she replied. "But dang, is Red Bull supposed to be that color?"

"Oh ha-ha, very funny," exclaimed the devil girl, as she reached in to retrieve another can.

She broke the tab, smiling in satisfaction seeing the familiar carbonated bubbles rising to the top. She took a long swig of the drink, before spitting it out once again. It tasted disgusting! She walked over to the sink and tipped the can over, watching as the goopy, chunky mixture spewed from the top. She felt sick to her stomach, and nearly hurled. She crushed the can, and threw it into the trash. Aurelia turned, and grabbed can after can, each one of them filled with the horrific concoction. She screamed in frustration, finally noticing that something was off. She flipped one of the cans over to find that a nickel had been hot-glued to the bottom. She wheeled her roommate, thrusting the can in her face.

"Care to explain this?"

The harpy shrugged, "I don't know. Whomever packed it must have messed up big time; you should sue."

"The only one I'm suing here is you, idiot!" Aurelia shouted. "Did you ruin an entire case of my Red Bull, what is this stuff? Tastes like rancid milk."

"That's because it IS rancid milk, mixed with soda water," the harpy replied as a matter of fact.

The devil girl's eyes widened, "Oh, so you admit it. You tampered with my drinks!"

Ximena walked back over to the counter, and grabbed her cereal and her textbook, "Well not all of them, there's still one left. I'm not a total monster."

Aurelia began flipping all the cans over until she found the one that hadn't been tampered with. She immediately cracked it open, and began inhaling the sugary goodness at lightning speed. She let out a content sigh, as Ximena proceeded to walk towards her room. She stuck out her wing, and pointed it in her direction.

"And by the way, that's two."

She laughed and shut her door, as Aurelia let out a huff, and crushed the empty can on the door of the fridge. The devil girl had to give her credit, that garuda was smarter than she thought. This was some next level shit, but she had just the plan to get even. It was a classic too. She waited until Ximena went class before going to work. She snuck into the girls bathroom, and began to line her toilet bowl with saran wrap. She giggled, imagining the carnage that awaited as she pulled the fabric taunt so that the harpy couldn't see it. Then, she returned to her room and waited.

' _Let's see how you like this one, Ximena.'_

She didn't have to wait long, as the front door flew open, and her roommate came sauntering in. Her morning classes were over. Aurelia heard the thud of a backpack hitting the wall, as the younger girl retired to her room. Usually, the girl didn't have the common decency to completely close her door while using the bathroom, so the devil girl could hear everything. She rose from her desk, and stood out in the hallway. A few seconds later, a loud shriek tore through the apartment. The noise crashed off the walls, and filled the older liminal's heart with glee.

"Aurelia! AURELIA! Oh my god, it's e-everywhere! What did you do to my toilet?!"

The devil girl pushed open her roommates door, and walked into her bathroom. She found Ximena on the floor with her pants down, looking incredibly irate. There were streaks of urine running down the sides of the toilet bowl, as the warm yellow liquid began pooling onto the floor, staining the grout between the tiles. Aurelia tried to keep a straight face, but burst out laughing as soon as she saw how pitiful the girl looked.

"This isn't funny!" Ximena screamed.

"Oh, this is…just…tremendous," Aurelia responded through raspy breath. "Consider this to be payback for ruining my Red Bulls."

The harpy looked appalled, "You know this isn't over, you'll pay for this!"

The older liminal raised an eyebrow, and shot the girl a maniacal grin, as if extending the invitation.

"Well, then bring it on."

A week passed with no retaliation from Ximena, and Aurelia found it to be extremely off-putting. The younger girl even pretended that nothing had happened. They spoke to each other, and hung out every other day. The false sense of security was killing her. Then one evening, she stopped to take a shower. She stripped off her clothes, and began washing her body. She was halfway through her first semester, and her grades looked good. She had always been a good student, and took pride in her work. She often looked forward to the sweet relief of a nice hot shower. She rinsed water through her long blue hair, and reached for her shampoo. Without looking, she squirted the liquid on her head, and began to mix it around. Something felt weird, though. The shampoo felt _greasier._ Suddenly, her vision began to blur, as whatever was now on her head began to run down into her eyes. She tried to rub it off, but to no avail. She pulled her hands free, to find that the "shampoo" was now stuck to her fingers. Aurelia shut off the water, and wiped her face with a washcloth. She stepped out, and glanced at her reflection in the mirror, and gasped. Her blue hair was now a pale white! Her hair was dripping with some kind of substance, and it was all over her floor.

"Ximena! What the hell is this?!"

The devil girl bolted from her room, while still being stark naked. She barged into the kitchen to find her roommate sitting in her lounge chair, and chowing down on a ham sandwich. The harpy stared at her with a blank expression on her face. Aurelia's black wings were extended, and were flapping like crazy. Ximena looked down, as her eyes widened in shock.

"You idiot! Don't come in here like that, that's oil-based paint on your head. You're gonna get it everywhere!"

The greater devil snorted, looking more like a mad minotaur. "You replaced my shampoo with oil-based _paint_?"

Ximena shook her head, "No, I mixed the paint in with your shampoo."

The harpy could have sworn she saw the older liminal's lips trembling. "What the hell were you thinking?! This is too far, you've gone way too far."

"Too far?" Ximena shot back with an exasperated expression. "You covered my toilet with saran warp. I peed all over the floor!"

"But that was easy to clean, how am I going to clean all of _this_ ," Aurelia asked, gesturing to herself. She reached up, and ran a hand through her hair.

"Oh my god, I think it's hardening."

Suddenly, the girl smiled mischievously. Ximena watched as the nude girl turned around and started walking straight towards her room! Sensing foul intentions, the harpy dashed from her chair, just as Aurelia opened her door and stepped inside.

"I am going to rub myself against everything that you own!" she screamed.

The devil girl yelped, as the taller liminal grabbed her waist from behind. She tried to grab the doorframe, but the harpy overpowered her, and threw her out into the hallway. Ximena closed her door, as Aurelia began to bang on it.

"Come on, this isn't funny! Look, just go get me something to wash this out with, and I promise not to fuck with your stuff."

The garuda looked thoughtful, and nodded, "Okay, but I don't trust you, so I'm going out the window."

She returned with a can of paint thinner, along with a fresh bottle of shampoo. It took Aurelia over a dozen rinses to get her hair back to normal. This prank war had gone way too far, but she wasn't ready to throw in the towel quite just yet. Oh no! The whole point of this was to get Ximena to apologize for being a slob, and to promise to start pulling her weight around the apartment. Aurelia hadn't seen that yet, so she was going to keep going with this until Ximena finally admitted her faults. Her next prank came into fruition a few days later. The devil girl noticed that the harpy hated spicy foods. All the food she ever ate was either mild, or bland. Aurelia had been curious once, and asked her. She thought the younger liminal had explained that it was just a preference. Every once in a while, she'd eat jalapenos with her family's traditional meals, and that was all the heat she could handle. Tabasco sauce, which was even hotter, had her racing for the milk. So, for this prank, she was going to go all out.

' _I'm thinking habaneros; that's the hottest pepper I know,'_ she thought to herself, while browsing online one evening.

Habanero's were potent. According to Ximena, the smell of those alone were enough to send her into a coughing fit. The hottest of which were around a hundred times more intense than a jalapeno. Then, Aurelia hit a snag. She couldn't sneak the peppers into the girls food, because of the smell. How was she going to get around that? She needed something that was odorless, and could be added to the food without her roommate knowing. After some research, she found the answer: chili extract. Pure capsaicin was a poison that could kill the harpy, and Aurelia definitely didn't want to do that, and some chili extracts were expensive. She eventually found one that wasn't too expensive, but would deliver an explosive kick over ten times that of even the strongest habanero. Aurelia smiled evilly, and rubbed her hands together. This was going to be perfect.

' _No all I have to do is invite her to dinner,'_ she exclaimed with a cackle.

The day after the extract arrived in the mail, Aurelia offered to cook a simple spaghetti dinner for them after their night classes had ended. She made enough for leftovers, but didn't add Ximena's special "ingredient" to her food until after her portion had been plated. The harpy came into the kitchen, and eyed the dish that her roommate had prepared. It smelled delicious.

"Wow Aurelia, this looks great! Thanks for making it," Ximena said, as she took her plate and wandered over to the television.

The devil girl grabbed her food, and sat down beside her, as they began to watch American Idol. She didn't really care for the show, but the garuda loved it. The older liminal could even admit that her roommate had a lovely signing voice, having listened to her in the shower. Aurelia watched as the younger girl placed a big fork full of noodles and sauce into her mouth and chewed. Slowly, Ximena's face began to turn bright red. She slurped down a second fork full, and began to cough.

"You having some trouble there, Ximena?" the bluenette asked.

It was at that moment that the harpy realized that her roommate had tampered with her food. The burning sensation started out mild, then almost immediately got hotter. Only this time it wasn't stopping.

"What did you put in my food, Aurelia?"

Ximena had eaten a habanero pepper once when she was younger, and long considered it to be the worst culinary experience of her life, but this far exceeded that. The burning sensation was so bad, that she was actually in pain. Her face at this point was crimson red, and she was hacking up a storm. She dropped her plate onto the coffee table, and leapt up as she ran into the kitchen. Her mannerisms were so wild, that Aurelia began to laugh, and followed her. The harpy reached into the fridge and grabbed the milk, but found that the cap had been heat sealed shut. She couldn't open it!

"That's right, I got you twice!" gloated Aurelia. She had used a utility lighter to melt the plastic cap into the carton.

She watched as the younger girl squealed in frustration, before slamming the jug onto the ground in an attempt to bust it open. The devil's girl's eyes widened in shock, as the garuda drove her talons into the sides of the cartoon. Milk began gushing out of the sides. Ximena picked it up, and began sucking the liquid out of one of the holes, not even caring that she was getting it all over herself. The burning sensation was not only NOT going away, but was getting worse.

' _WHAT DID SHE FEED ME?'_ thought Ximena in desperation.

Tears began to flow down her cheeks, as her tongue started to swell. Her chest began to tighten, as her breath became labored. She started wheezing. Aurelia immediately stopped laughing once the girls face started turning purple. Ximena began to feel sick to her stomach, and vomited into the sink. Still, the burning sensation intensified. Milk was doing absolutely nothing at this point. The devil girl seriously considered calling the paramedics, but the garuda stopped her.

"It's fine, just leave me alone!" She screamed, as she slammed her fists onto the countertop.

She shot the older liminal a look that blended an equal amount of disgust and betrayal. The greater devil withered beneath her gaze.

"I hate you Aurelia, why would you do this to me?"

"It was just a prank, Ximena! I didn't think you would react this badly," the bluenette replied.

The blonde wasn't having any of it, and ran into her room, and slammed her door shut. Aurelia swore, as she heard the girls loud sobs penetrating the walls. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen, it was just harmless fun, wasn't it? She looked down at the floor, where the carpet was still stained with droplets of paint from Ximena's last prank.

' _Maybe I did take this one too far,'_ Aurelia thought.

Then it dawned on her that Ximena must have had an allergic reaction to the capsaicin. She panicked, and sealing the milk jug shut hadn't helped. The devil girl groaned, suddenly feeling like a horrible person. She cleaned up the kitchen, turned the television off, and put the food away. This prank war HAD to end. Aurelia started it hoping to teach the harpy a lesson in respect, but had gone and lost all of hers in the process. She felt ashamed of herself. She retired to her room, turned off her light, and went to sleep. Ximena was sick for the next few days, and even had to skip several of her classes. It took a few more days before the harpy even said one word. Aurelia woke up that weekend morning, and stepped into the kitchen to find the girl cooking breakfast. The greater devil approached her cautiously, and stood beside the fridge, watching her as she prepared ingredients to put in a pan.

"Listen Ximena, I'm sorry for what happened the other day. I took things way too far last time," Aurelia said, really being sincere.

"You did, I thought I was gonna die. I'm allergic to spicy foods, that's why I rarely eat them," the taller girl responded, without turning to speak to her roommate.

"That was just overkill. Where'd you even find something like that? I mean, my god Aurelia. I was sick for days!"

The devil girl grimaced, "It was pure chili extract, and I found it online, but don't worry, because I got rid of it. I won't do something like that again, I promise. Do you want to call a truce?"

Ximena raised an eyebrow, "A truce?"

The older girl nodded, "Yeah, we've been pranking each other nonstop for the past month, and it's gotten out of hand. The whole reason why I put itching powder in your shorts to begin with is that I was just tired of cleaning up the house by myself. We're roomies, so I figure we should be a team."

Aurelia watched as the harpy began to cook her food, moving the spatula back and forth in a rhythmic pattern. Suddenly, a small smile began to creep across her face.

"You're right…" she responded.

"…And I'm sorry too, for being a slob. I knew that's why you started this whole prank thing. I wanted to find you, and apologize for my actions as well, but these last few days have been awkward. From now on, I'll start pulling my weight too, whether it's doing dishes, or laundry, or dusting."

The devil girl was taken aback. She wasn't expecting to hear that, but she appreciated it, "Thanks, Ximena."

Aurelia sniffed the air. Whatever Ximena was making, it smelled good. She didn't fail to notice that the harpy wasn't being as reckless with her cooking this time. Looks like she had scrambled some eggs with some chopped onion and bell peppers, along with a can of diced tomatoes, some shredded cheese, and a chopped green vegetable that the greater devil didn't recognize.

"What's that?" she asked, pointed to the foreign ingredient.

"It's nopales," replied Ximena. "Cactus. It's a traditional Mexican dish, and my papa's favorite. You eat it on a tortilla. Do you want some?"

The bluenette hummed in curiosity, and nodded. She had never had cactus before, and it might be pretty good. Suddenly, she furrowed her brow. Wait, cactus?

"You wouldn't be planning on feeding me a bunch of spines would you, as payback for making you sick?" she inquired, in a half-joking tone.

The garuda laughed, "Of course not. Papa grows these in his backyard, and he scrapes off the spines before he sends them to me."

Ximena prepared Aurelia a plate with a tortilla on it, before making one for her herself. The devil girl made her way over to the couch, and sat down. She bit into her food, and smiled. The cactus actually tasted pretty good, kind of like a mixture between a cucumber and a green bean. Ximena appeared beside her with a glass of water, and sat down. As they ate, Aurelia realized something. She had used the last of the eggs two days ago, and hadn't had the chance to go to the store. Did Ximena go buy some instead?

"Did you go to the store recently?" she asked.

Ximena shook her head, and took a bite out of her tortilla, "I haven't had time to."

Aurelia stared at her roommates tortilla, and then down at her own. Her mouth gaped open like a fish, "Then, uh… where did you get these eggs?"

I mean, they weren't bad, but they did taste a little funky. Aurelia couldn't put her finger on it. She took another bite of the tortilla, trying to place the flavor.

"I laid it," replied the harpy, as if it were the most obvious answer.

The devil girl spat out her food, and began choking. She reached for her roommates glass of water, and downed the whole thing. She _laid_ it? Sure, harpies laid eggs, and since Ximena was a garuda, it made sense that she would too.

"Oh my god, Ximena," she said in shock, as she pushed her plate forward. "Why would you feed me something that you birthed from your own body?"

The blonde shrugged, "What's the big deal? You eat chicken eggs, so why not harpy eggs? I lay one once a month, so I might as well do something with it. Seems like a waste to just throw 'em away."

Aurelia suddenly began to feel ill. She watched as her roommate finished the last of her tortilla, before grabbing the half eaten one that she had pushed aside. The greater devil buried her face in her hands, as the two sat in silence for bit.

"Why do harpies lay eggs?" she asked randomly. "Don't you get your period like all other girls?"

Ximena stopped chewing, and stared at the older liminal, "I don't know why we lay them, honestly. Harpies give birth to babies, so I guess we're more human than bird. What about devils, I heard they can use magic. Is that true?"

Aurelia shook her head, "We can use echolocation, among a few other things, but there's no hocus pocus involved. We're no more magical than David Copperfield."

"Hey, I like David Copperfield," her roommate quipped. "He's the first human I ever saw that could fly."

Aurelia started to giggle, as did Ximena, as their laughter began to fill the living room. The greater devil leaned back into her seat, and gazed at ceiling, before titling her head towards the harpy.

"Why did you come to VCU?" she asked.

Ximena chuckled a bit, and leaned back in her seat as well, "Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been fascinated by planes. I don't really know why, I but I always thought they were cool. My dream is to be a pilot."

Aurelia raised an eyebrow, "You can already fly, though. Wouldn't you want to learn how to do something that you can't?"

The harpy shook her head, "You laughed when I joked about David Copperfield, but humans can't fly. That's something you and I take for granted every day; instead, they developed a machine that would allow them to fly. Earlier, I said that harpies aren't birds, because birds are awesome. They can fly for thousands of miles without stopping. Falcons can travel faster than most supercars. I'm a fast flier, but I'd struggle to break interstate speeds in a straight line, a hundred miles would be a marathon for me."

Aurelia nodded in agreement, as Ximena continued, "Planes can travel further, and even faster than birds. Jets can even break the sound barrier! I'll never be able to do that myself. Every time I've flown in a plane, I've looked out the window, and gazed down at the Earth below. I look at the white clouds, and it just fills me a sense of freedom that I just don't have whenever I fly on my own, you know."

The devil started to ponder her words. She had flown twice, and had never really thought about any of that while in the air, maybe because she viewed planes as just another form of transportation. She also didn't have the clear enthusiasm about them that Ximena did. She had been on roller coasters, and those were fun as hell. Aurelia didn't really understand it, but she could respect her roommates dream. She wanted to be a mathematician, even though she had already mastered basic arithmetic. She supposed that could have been similar logic.

"I've spoken to papa and mama already, and I plan on joining the AFROTC program on campus next year," said Ximena. "I didn't have the grades to enroll out of high school, so I had to wait a year."

"What is ROTC?" asked Aurelia.

"It's the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps," the harpy explained. "You should totally join with me, Aurelia. Oh, it'll be so much fun!"

"The military?" the greater devil raised an eyebrow.

She didn't know about that, as it seemed a little too far out of her comfort zone. Besides, that would definitely have to be something she'd need to discuss with her parents first. Both her mom and dad were refugees, having came to the United States from Romania after the first world war. Before the Cultural Exchange bill was signed, her kind had been persecuted against across Europe. She didn't know how they'd feel about their daughter becoming a solider. It really wasn't something that she wanted to do either. She was going to have to pass on that one. Aurelia watched as Ximena reached into her bra, and pulled out a stack of folded up bills.

"This is the money that I owe you for buying us groceries with your charge card that one time, plus a little bit extra for putting up with me," the harpy explained.

Aurelia's eyes widened, as she took the money that had been promised her, "Ximena, where did you get all of this money?"

The harpy held one of her clawed hands to her lips, "Unfortunately, that's a secret, so don't worry about it."

The devil girl shrugged, "If you say so."

Ximena laughed, "I'll tell you about it some other time, my friend."


End file.
